The Gift of Friendship
Friendship. It’s extraordinary. Even in the ordinary moments you share with friends you find yourself overcome with joy from the familiar, routine, and common place experiences. You realize those times are actually extraordinary … the unexpected ... the uncommon. This past summer DJ and I spent our summer at the lake. Time for just the two of us. Time with family. And time with friends. Boating, sitting around the fire pit. Stargazing. Hiking at Dogwood Canyon and other points of interest. Enjoying fireworks with neighbors and their guests at the community gathering space. And … nearly everyday DJ and I swam in the lake with our dear friend Dru. What a treat that was! Enjoying each other’s company, lots of laughter, both deep and light conversation, and a bit of exercise to keep our aging bodies from growing older too fast.
One afternoon Dru asked to stop by later that night. I could tell she was excited about something she planned to give us. That evening DJ and I were sitting around the camp fire when our dear friend arrived. She presented us with a rather large sack. I opened it and was astonished when I realized what was inside. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The most beautiful quilt I’ve ever seen. You see Dru is a quilt maker … an incredible artist. She designed a “one of a kind” quilt of her interpretation of my book, Daring to Dance Again.
As she pieced it together, she was actually piecing together my story. The quilt highlights some of the signs of angels that have come in different forms like the butterflies and birds. The ones DJ and I experienced together. Our cabin (also known as our sacred space) in the woods is represented in the middle of the masterpiece. Surrounding the edges on all four sides are hearts, because Dru said it represents the love story that DJ and I share together.
Friendships are not ordinary. They may feel familiar, but the times shared together in good times and challenging times make them amazing and quite extraordinary. I believe we often times underestimate the impact our friendships have on others. Embrace your friends with love, joy, and grace, because you are adding to the threadcounts and patchwork of someone’s life … and they yours!
