Enduring Friendships

One of the reasons I love antiques is that each piece has a history. Someone once loved and treasured the item and for whatever reason have now passed it on. Sometimes a vintage teapot or creamer is checked and cracked from use. Other times the piece is like new, as if it were stored away in a hutch or cabinet and only brought out on special days.

Or perhaps its an old piece of furniture, nicked and worn in many spots from constant use. Those are the pieces so many of us gravitate towards because they hold a special charm. Sometimes we find new pieces and try to make them look old, but there is always a certain newness about them that only time can adequately embellish.
Some friendships are like that. I feel so fortunate to have some friends with whom I have shared the nicks and abuses of life. Old friends who have shared the stages of life with me from elementary school right up to today. We have gone through first boyfriends, college applications, sorority hazing, marriage, babies and every little twist and turn down life's path. Yet there is a special bond that we share that is unbroken and just seems to become more cherished and dear as the years go by.

Then there are the somewhat newer friends. There is not the same history that is shared because we have met as adults so we create a history together from a different starting point. Perhaps we meet in the workplace or we are neighbors. We may have been born in different cities or countries of the world, yet there is some instant recognition of heart that draws us together and cements a bond. The longer we interact, the stronger that bond becomes.

Or perhaps we have not yet met face to face, but have met via blogging. We discover that we have the same interests. We quickly make up for lost time by visiting each other's blogs and then sending emails. Day by day that bond grows and we are no longer acquaintances, but friends. True friends.

The longer I have lived and moved from place to place in this big wide world, the more friends I have held in my heart. We are so lucky to live in a world where the distance in miles between us is shortened by our instant communication. It makes it so much easier to share special moments in real time despite being so far away from each other.

So to me, friendships are a lot like antiques. We all suffer a few nicks and scars along the way, but the heart of the friendship is still there and all the more dear in it's cherished patina.
I just want to say thank you to all of you who have been so kind to extend your hand in friendship. You make my little world a much happier place and I treasure you.
Big Texas Hugs, Susan and Bentley