Friendship

I saw my old friend Sarah on Sunday night -- I haven't seen her in over a year. Maybe even more than a couple years -- time goes by so quickly any more. She and her husband and their kids just moved back to the Minneapolis area after being in Pennsylvania for 14 years, and she drove down to my neck of the woods to visit her Mom and Dad. I was surprised and happy to get the phone call that she was in town and wanted to get together.

It was strange. The two of us look so much older now, and I'm definitely so much fatter. (DAMMIT). But it was like we'd never been apart. We've known each other since we were in high school (25+ years ago), and we were part of a VERY tightly-knit group of a dozen or so kids who did EVERYTHING together. The strangest part is, most of us still keep in touch.

We're spread as far away as Las Vegas, Houston, Chicago, and until a couple months ago, Pennsylvania (but now Minneapolis). Yet when someone comes "back home" to visit family, everyone makes it a priority to try and get as many of "the gang" together for drinks and fun.

Recently, one of our group was hit by a car while crossing the street on foot. He was pretty severely injured and he was unable to work for several months. With no insurance and no savings, his prospects were looking bleak. One of our crew took it upon themselves to open up a savings fund at the local bank in this guy's name. Word got out, and before you know it over $8,000 was in the account. Pretty amazing.

Sarah and I pondered the value of these old friendships, and wondered why we knew so few others who had "old friends" to whom they were still close and on whom they could rely. We concluded that it's just the pace of today's society. Everyone is so mobile; folks don't stay in one place long enough to make friends any more. I feel sorry for them.

I'm thankful to have so many people in my life that I consider "good friends". I treasure and value the richness they add to my life.