The Power of Friendship

Last week I took a pretty spontaneous trip to see a person I do not see nearly enough. There are a few people whose friendship will truly endure a lifetime; Angie is one of those friends for me. Angie and I met as adults; we are both nurses and worked on the same unit together. It has been about ten years and I consider her one of my dearest friends. We’ve been through a million laughs, a thousand tears, a hundred pints of ice cream, and a decade of relationships together. She takes me at face value, accepts me for who I am and understands that tomorrow I, and my life, may not be the same, but our friendship will be. There is something to be said about a person who understands with just a notion and not the whole story.

Occoneechee State Park, VA

The power was out for days, the temperature and tempers were on the rise, and Angie posted a simple “come see me” message. I packed up my teenage son and my geriatric dog and off we went. A few circles of wasting time, a garden trail here, a garden trail there and we arrived safely at her door. Three days of renewal ensued. A dinner out, a late morning in, and a walk through a mall out of a teenage dream brought me through the stress of home into the calm of comfort in less than 24 hours. It wasn’t anything special, but it was powerful.  Time with someone who simply, genuinely cares for you can do magnificent things for the soul. There were no amazing conversations, no powerful moments, just my simple need to be taken care of, comforted and understood. By just opening her door, Angie did all of that for me.

Then it happened, she was having company for dinner. Just a few friends over for a barbeque. Great. She knows I do not like many people, especially a group of strange girls. Well, I thought, “if they are Angie’s friends, they must be ok”. I could always go to bed early. I had no idea what an evening of fantastic friends and fun was about to unfold.

This group of women greeted my trio with sincerity and simplicity. We laughed, we shared and we simply enjoyed each other. They gave love to my mutt. They tolerated and even encouraged my son. They made me feel like an insider. A game of “Taboo” brought out all the personalities and I enjoyed every last one. I went to bed with a smile and a few new perspectives. I closed out my retreat with a little bit of just hanging out inside and poolside. I returned home refreshed and able to conquer the stress mounting at home.

Take time for you. Enjoy time with friends. Friendships are renewing. Genuine care and concern is refueling. Acceptance of yourself and that of and from others is truly priceless. So, I close this blog with a basket overflowing with thank you’s. Angie, Bria, OSCAR( the best talking cat ever), Jennifer, Corrie, Caroline, Amara, Sharika-Shakira, and even Caleb and Dutch; I thank you. I needed a little reflection, renewal and revitalization. You guys are fantastic. My only regret… I wish I took a few more pictures, so I could make this blog a little more entertaining. (Some people only read blogs for the pictures.)