Friendship

The view from the balcony

"'I'm asking everybody for my Sunday School thing, 'Lissa, what they think a friend is. What do you say?'

'A friend is ... crumbs, let me think. Someone who sticks by you, I think. Someone who won't let you down.'

'That's good; thanks. Make me a cup of coffee, too, will you? Oh, Mother, you haven't said. What do you think a friend is?'

Mother frowned thoughtfully and carried on nipping the little stalks off her gooseberries without replying. She said eventually, 'Well ... I've had friends who've disappointed me. Sometimes, even the ones who loved me have let me down, and not understood, and betrayed my trust. That's only human nature isn't it? I daresay I've done as much to them. No, I would say ... I learned it from a story great-grandmother Melissa told me ... I would say that because we all have our failings and weaknesses, because each of us is only human, a friend - a good friend - is someone who helps you to persevere.'

'What?' said Therese.

'A friend is someone who helps you to persevere. When the going gets tough and you're on the point of jacking it all in; by the time you reach my age, Therese, you will be able to look back at lots of times when you nearly gave up and walked away from a difficult situation; and the people you will remember with thanks and love are the ones who helped you, in those moments, to persevere.'"

The Wounds of God, by Penelope Wilcock.


Tonight we have had the gift of a visitor from out of town, a man that we have known for over eleven years. He and his family moved a year and a half ago, and we have missed our times together. We all enjoy music, and his talent for singing, playing and song writing is immense. Tonight he lead us in some great hymns, and played a couple of songs of his that we had not heard since he left. Now, as the house has settled into the quiet of bedtime, my husband is out walking our dark country road with his dear friend. It is a great pleasure to know that he has a kindred spirit with whom he can share his heart. We have shared dark nights of the soul with this couple, but, like the quote from Wounds of God, these are friends that have encouraged us to persevere.