Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

Today I visited with an old friend. I hadn’t seen him in ten years, and he looked just the same, particularly his welcoming smile. No, this wasn’t a romantic reunion (his husband would object to that), but it was an important one. This was someone who supported me in my darkest hours, when I most needed friends and had very few I could count on.

I won’t go into details of those dark hours, except to say they sure separated the wheat from the chaff when it came to the people in my life. Today, I wonder what a similar situation would do to my current group of friends. I don’t like to think about it, but I’m acutely aware of the consequences of our worst moments.

We all have life-changing moments that open our eyes to a reality we hadn’t fully comprehended before. Okay, if you haven’t, you’re young and it will happen. These moments aren’t always bad, in fact, they can be very good. It’s important to recognize them and hold on to their meaning in our lives.

But more importantly, it’s important to hang on to the friends we make during these times. Life may separate us physically, but love will keep the friendship alive.

Image Credits: Friendship sign © alexlmx–stock.adobe.com; Silver and Gold © Destina–stock.adobe.com