There Is One Friend...

"I suppose there is one friend in the life of each of us who seems not a separate person, however dear and beloved, but an expansion, an interpretation of one's self, the very meaning of one's soul." - Edith Wharton, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Literature

This is such a beautiful description of a true friendship, a blessed connection with another human being.  I have a friend in my life who fits this description.  She's like a sister to me and I thank God every day that we've formed this bond. I've been lucky enough to form lasting friendships with many people now but I wasn't always this fortunate.

The miracle here is that I'm capable of being a friend to someone at all.  I was never a very good friend back in my younger days.  I always felt a little out of place and uncomfortable around people in general so I tended to stay to myself and it usually put people off. I wanted to have friends but I didn't know how to be one.  It was a lonely place to be.

I've opened myself up over the years to letting people get to know me and it's worked wonders in my life.  I have so many friends today that I am overwhelmed with gratitude at times.  I've been able to connect with them and they accept me just as I am.  I love my friends so much.  The best gift I can give them is my attention, compassion, and understanding.  They've given me so much in return. 

As for that one very special and close friend, I owe everything to her.  She helped me through one of the most difficult times in my life.  When I thought I couldn't hurt anymore from the pain I was feeling over the loss of two close people in my life, she was the one who called me, listened to me, and encouraged me to remember that things would change and I wouldn't feel the grief forever.  She was right.  I'm in a good place these days and it's thanks to her and many other friends who loved me through it all.  I am blessed.

Thank you God for my friends today.  May they always know how special they are to me.  May I always be sure to show them how I feel through my words and actions. They deserve the best life has to give!