The Value Of Friendship

Throughout the week at work and at home, I probably get dozens of forwarded emails about friendship and your loved ones.  I read every email I get, and unlike some people, I don't automatically delete a forwarded email.  I received two emails at work today from co-workers, and it was as if they were reading my mind.  One was about having a friend that you love and pray for every day and the other email was about unconditional love and unconditional acceptance. It's not often that I'm totally serious in TWIT - I usually try to be funny or sarcastic or informative, but today I'm different.   I come to you after having a hard and difficult weekend, and I'm very proud to say that I do in deed have a friend that loves me, prays for me daily, and accepts me unconditionally - it's none other than Diva Stacy.  I use TWIT as a sounding board, and today I have the need to write what I feel.  This is my journal, and I can write what I want, so you can either read the rest of this or just close the page and read again tomorrow. But today, I have to write about our friendship. 

It all started over thirty years ago when we became friends, and I'm very happy to say that it continues today.  Throughout the thirty years, we've had other friends in our lives, and still do, but there's just something about us that is different; I guess it's because it's unconditional.  It's not a case of "You're my friend and I love you because of " - it's a case of "You're my friend and I love you in spite of".  We know what to expect from each other, and there are usually no surprises.  Unconditional is the best word I can use to describe our relationship.  We've been there for each other during some of the worst times in our lives, and while the fallout wasn't very pleasant, the love we have is unconditional and it helped us get through, and we'd do it all again in a heartbeat if we had to. 

I don't think I've shared this story with Diva Stacy before, so when she reads TWIT on Tuesday, this will be the first time she reads this.  Our friendship is just like something my Grandma Clara said years ago.  It was back in the mid-80's - a friend brought her tape recorder over and wanted to interview Gradma for a project she was working on at church. She was putting together a devotional about friends.  She asked Grandma some questions about friends she's had in her life, and the last sentence Grandma spoke is something that will be with me forever.  She said "Old time friends - they're the best."  I couldn't agree more, Grandma.