One of my favorite subjects

Please do not make me choose a favorite thing to talk about because I would have a tough time. But, for today, it is friendship, and another word I do not like to use, relationships. Let me change that to 'connections' for my comfort and purposes.

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At this time of the morning I would normally be off the bed, showered, and dressed but instead, decided to do this. The skies are overcast but the sun is breaking through the clouds and sparkling on the water. The weatherman said it might be over 90 today which really makes me question my plans for the day. If I go to lunch, I might miss the better part of the day poolside....I must be on the Southside, meeting Justin in the parking lot at Victory at 6:30 so we can drive together to UNF for the "Stand Up for America" event. We are quite excited about this gathering and imagine we will come out all pumped up!

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Yesterday I spent some forth and back time with a former classmate, a year ahead of me at MLHS, who expressed on FB the need for a friend. She posted it in the form of a Wanted Ad with the stipulation that the applicants be under the age of 70. Some of the ladies I do fun things with are near or beyond that age so I would not limit myself but J. has her reasons, I am sure. It has been years and years since I have seen her, and she found me on Facebook. Her brother used to live in the same house as my sister, Lynn, a few years ago. So, anyway, I told J. that if I lived closer to her, I would go to lunch with her! You know I would!

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With what I remember from high school, which I realize was a LONG time ago, she was the last one who would be without a friend. She said all she has in her life now is work and home (computer), and although she is married, is not the same as having a 'girlfriend'. I get that, I really do. This just breaks my heart and I know I should realize that not everyone wants or even needs friends 'on the outside'. I say again, I realize it but certainly do not understand it!

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A couple Fridays ago I mentioned the craft night at Victory and how our devotion was about friends and what makes them. If memory serves me, Linda J. and I were talking about this on the phone, you can correct me if I am mistaken, Linda said, "You have to be a friend to make one". In other words, when you are good and decent to others, and open, you are more apt to make a friend. That might be a keyword, not wanting to be "open" to letting others into your life, or feeling the need, as it were. However, if that is the case, no crying about not having any friends, okay? Now, I am not saying this is the case with J. in T'Rivers, not at all, but I am thinking about a lady whose entire relationship with her friend hinged on whether or not she got a Christmas card after she moved. No! In my opinion, it would be what goes out from you (me) than what comes in to you (me).

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J. said she had taken many, oh what was her word?, bullets, in her life after high school. Her best and dearest friends had moved away, leaving her alone with computer friends. I am one of those now and am not offended, I am privileged, that she can 'talk' about this with me, us. I jumped on that, 'suggesting' she get out there and make some new friends, telling her to start at church. Immediately she replied that the congregation she belongs to, an 'old' one, already has their circle of friends in place and there is no room for her. This may be true in part, but I encouraged her to get in there and stir things up a bit, muscle her way into the holy huddle. Hey, she asked for it, and now she is going to get it from me! I answered the ad.....

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Our shared friend, Dolly, whose name I invoked during this afternoon-long "conversation", chimed in later, reminding J. about a Bible study they were in together years ago and even recalled a musical group I do not remember that these ladies played in. There are some gaps in my friendship with Dolly, which might have been when she was a rock star with J.! Now we are getting somewhere!

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Dolly stepped up and answered the ad, too, and since she actually lives 'up there' and attends the same church, she is inspired to go to lunch with J.! She even suggested going to a Bible study again with J. which really warms my heart. I absolutely MUST be sure to get in touch with J. when I am home in June to see how she is doing with her friend harvesting. Frankly, I do not know, I do not know, where I would be without the Christian friends in my life. They are the icing on the cake, whether they are sitting across the table from me in the Cracker Barrel or 1200 miles away in the snowy north. Go out there, folks, and be a friend, so that you foster some friendships! DO NOT MAKE ME COME UP THERE!

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When Justin and I were driving back to Victory for his car after lunch yesterday, we were talking about that poor guy who had been burned in the accident, needing help with his JEA bill. I said to Justin that I wish I knew who this guy was, because my heart was breaking for him, to see if I could help him out, my words trailing off.......Justin looked over at me and said, "Your Wilson's Disease again!" We both laughed and then I told him I actually heard about this disease again on "House" a couple weeks ago when the Team's patient was a man who was just too nice. I thought the first time I heard them say that they were teasing Dr. Wilson who is also very nice, but it was an actual disease! It is not reasonable to try to help everyone, but even just a little bit of assistance would be good, right? I do have to be careful about what I say in front of Justin because sometimes I actually tell him 'no', so how would that be to help the stranger and not help Justin get a new pair of plaid shorts for volleyball....?

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Speaking of friends, one of the very nice young ladies from my last big cruise to the Mediterranean region in 2007 contacted me about finding each other either in WI in June or here in Florida in July. She is coming down here to the Orlando area and south of there and hopes we can get together for at least a few hours. I might have better 'luck' finding her in Rhinelander or points in between her place and Manty in June! Those are the kind of friendships I like, we can just pick up the fun where we left off! She also asked me to join some of the same group who are going to NYC soon, and man, I wish I were going with them! Her dad and mom were the ones who picked up Lynn, Nancy M., and me at the airport in Seattle and took us to dinner and to the hotel before our Alaska cruise. Love it!