Thoughts on Friendship

A couple of weeks ago, I came across a picture of these two little girls in Halloween costumes… couldn’t be more than 4 years old. One dressed as a black cat and the other dressed as a clown. Action suspended in time of the Clown offering the Cat some of her half-consumed lollipop. Kinda sweet really… the simplicity, innocence and profound expression of friendship is evident and held in the space between these two little messengers… to be kind… to notice one another… to speak without saying a word… to share a little sweetness with a friend.

Some phrases on Memory that seem relevant and resonate with me in The Power of Kindness by Piero Ferrucci: “The friends of my childhood… are not merely items I keep in an archive. They are vital ingredients of my history. Through my memories I build my life and my identity. I am what I am by virtue of how I remember what has happened to me, the people I have met, the mistakes I have made, and the triumphs I have enjoyed I remember, therefore I am.”

In this age, the world moves ahead so fast it is hard to keep track of all the news. We are continually distracted by new stimuli, and the present is recreated daily–through events, people, fashions, ideas, places and objects. Everything lasts a short while, and then vanishes. Since the rhythm of change is so quick, we scarcely stay in contact with people in our lives. The danger is that we even lose contact with ourselves, with the continuity of our own history. And then we try to form an identity for ourselves, but it is a fiction… we do not even know who we are. Bringing history forward through telling and sharing of stories we can come to make peace within ourselves… peace with our own existence. Our memories, the lessons we have learned, the difficulties we have overcome, our successes and failures, the people we have known: All this is a part of our life, all helps us know that we are who we are. Acknowledging our roots changes us. It makes us feel truer… If you know where you come from, it is easier to decide where you are going.

The Clown and the Cat… I delight in the innocence I am feeling as if I am 4 years old again. You see, the eternal Clown in the photograph is me… and the Cat is my dear friend “Lessie” Herrington. This image captures a moment that I shared with my young friend and my young self… so pure… uncensored. What I see now is an anchor to love and authentic friendships that have spanned the course of my life. So many pictures (both photos and the ones I have in my mind) of my friends and family. What good fortune I have with such tender, loving memories of such wonderful souls! Yet it is so simple… all I have to do is imagine you and you are alive again… in my thoughts and prayers and yes, even pictures.

I carry you with me…
All my days…
Blessed to call you My friend.