The Five Minute Part:
Today was a busy day so I jotted down thoughts that came to me about “Friend” in my notepad in half-minute spurts throughout the day. By the time I sat down to type it all out it had grown into a huge list and my heart was so FULL of gratefullness for the rich friendships God has blessed me with throughout my whole life. Some friends have come and gone, others were for only a small moment of my life, while many kindred spirits and brave and steadfast souls have stuck with me, we have been seasoned together and branded by the marks of love and life. It is because of these friendships that I have come this far and have the courage to continue on this journey in hope. When I think about God and where to find Him, I think of my family and my friends first. For it has been through them that I have experienced His Joy, His Sorrow, His Comfort, His Love, and His Peace.
Thank you friends, you are all truly dear to my heart and I thank God every day for you.
Here is the longer version of the notes I thought of about “Friend” based on my own experiences and others that I’ve observed, this is definitely longer than “Five Minutes”:
A friend –
Knows you before you even know how to talk
Stares at you and giggles while trying to grab your hair
Crawls around on the floor with you sharing drool soaked toys and cracker crumbs
Starts talking to you in the sandbox at the park and calls you her best friend before she even knows your name
Walks over with her mom and asks if she can be your friend
Plays hide and seek and glad light tag in the summer until way past bedtime
Plays Barbies and Ponies in your room for hours
Has sleepovers at your house and hers the next night and yours again until your parents finally decide they are not going to adopt so it’s time for her to go back to her own family and you to yours.
Laughs together with you so hard that you really start to wonder if you really can die from laughing too hard.
Buys a friendship bracelet with you
makes friendship bracelets together
helps make and sell scrunchies with you
Calls random people in the phone book with you on hot and boring summer days
Calls your crush and declares your undying love for him despite your excessive pleads not to and rolls around on the floor laughing with you afterwards.
Squeals with you when you get asked in your first date.
Sits by you and cries with you when he breaks up with you of another “prettier” girl
Invites you to sit at her table on the first day of school when you feel alone and friendless
Sings at the top of your lungs in the car with you
Sneaks out of class to escape to the school chapel and pray and sing favorite church songs together
Plays sardines in Kohls and scavenger hunts in Walmart
Throws you a surprise birthday party
Loves you even though you can be incredibly annoying
Prays with you
Invites you to go deeper and closer in love for Christ
Challenges you to seek Truth, even when nothing really makes sense anymore
Stays up late into the wee morning hours with you pondering God an discussing the ways of the world
Just sits with you in the silence, no needs for words
Sits on picnick benches with you dreaming about getting married and having babies
Makes you ask that one boy to the dance, promising it will be “just this once”
then convinces you to “go for it” when that “just this once” date evolves into a great friendship which then evolves into something deeper despite the unknown future
Reaches out to you and befriends you when you have moved 1000 miles away from everything you have built up, all your friends and the one you’ve grown to love
Sends you letters and calls you so you know you are not forgotten, not unloved and dearly missed
listens to you over the phone as you cry over what you bitterly miss and your whole world makes no sense anymore
Holds out her hand and offers a sweet and friendly smile and lets you pick if which side of close will be yours
Washes the moldy dishes when you are overwhelmed with class and assignments and work
Sits by you in your first Writing 101 class
Invites you to join in the spontaneous midnight donut run
Stays up laughing with you and talking about your Faith even though you both have an early class the next day
Listens to you and doesn’t tell you you are wrong…even when you think you are SO right
Tells you when you are wrong if what you think you are right about is really too wrong to be right
Prays for you and invites you to join in
Is the first one you announce your engagement to and show off your shiney new ring
Prays for you and your fiance
Trust you, believes in you, and is genuinely excited for you and him, even when everyone else has their doubts
Throws you your bridal shower and discusses the intricate details about wedding stuff that doesn’t really matter but also does
Buys you a granny-sized incredibly ugly nightgown (that is more like a sleeping bag) for your bachelorette “lingerie” party.
Flies 1000 miles to be at and sing at your wedding
Stays with you and commiserates with you when the photographer shows up 3 hours LATE
Fixes your veil falling out of your hair during the middle of the Wedding Mass
Takes the cute and sweet little flower girl to the bathroom during the middle of the Vows
Toasts, dines, and dances with you to celebrate the beginning of a happy and Sacred new life together
Goes with you to buy your first pregnancy test
Rejoices with you when there are two lines!
Cries with you and prays with you when you only see one line or have to say goodbye too soon or even before you got to say hello.
Breathes with you and encourages you when push comes to shove and it’s time to get that baby out but all you want to do is runaway
Looks me in the eyes and tells me “Yes, you
CAN
do this.”
Cries with me and ooos with me and wonders in awe with me over a precious and tiny little human being
Brings you meals and cleans your kitchen after welcoming a new member into the family
Grabs your boobs and shows you how to correctly latch your baby so you can feed the child and make him stop crying {and your nipples stop bleeding}
Brings you a pump and maybe some formula and goes on a diaper run for you in the middle of the night
Listens to you vent and offers you a hug {and some wine} after a long day, knowing that no matter how much you complain you really do love them all more than anyone could ever know
Holds your baby and entertains the littles while you make dinner, or shower, or take a nap…or sit and stare at a blank wall for a few hours
Corals kids with you, breaks up fights and teaches the importance of apologies and forgiveness with you
Encourages you to try new things, find what works for you – not them.
Advises and counsels you when trying to figure out where to go next
Sends you random messages to brighten your day or remind you how to laugh at life
Celebrates graduations, new jobs, weddings
Grandchildren!
Soaks in all the details of your faraway travels and exciting adventures
Holds your hand at the funerals….and in the months and years that pass after
Does you family’s laundry – even the dirty underwear – while you go through cancer treatment or other illness
Forgives past {and present} immaturities, misjudgements, and general stupidity.
Walks with you through the shadows
Lights the path through the dark hours
Comes to visit you when everyone else has gone
Reaches over and holds your wrinkled hand and laughs with you while reflecting on a long and joy-filled life
Gives you one last hug for old time’s sake, thanks you for a good friendship
Then closes your eyes and says goodbye
And prays for your soul
Until you are together again
Visiting from Five Minute Friday. I was struck by your phrasing, “branded by the marks of love,” since I wrote a post very recently called “Love Leaves a Mark.” We are marked as friends, and we make marks on our friends, even unaware. I guess that’s a good thing?
Welcome Deborah! Thank you for your comment. Yes I think you’re right, we leave our marks on others, sometimes for the bad but hopefully mostly for the good!
This is absolutely beautiful! You have touched on so many areas really showing what true friendship is like.
Thank you Gayl! It was enriching for me to write it out – now I want to go hug all my friends who’ve been there for along the way!