Heartstrings

Last May, my high school classmates and I enjoyed a reunion and 4 of us ladies who were helping out with the planning decided to go on a weekend trip to reconnect.  This last weekend was that weekend and I have to say, it was good to be able to laugh, cry, relax, laugh, shop, eat and laugh some more with a group of gals, one I’ve known since pre-school, the other two since grade school.  We all went to the same schools until our 2nd year of college where our paths diverged, but we went to each other’s weddings, baby showers and kid’s birthday parties.  Most of us have been touched by divorce and illness, and all of us are blessed enough to have our parents still with us.

We marveled at the things that have not changed (one of us still has a relentless sweet tooth) as well as the things that have (we could open a mini-pharmacy between us as well as an optometry practice!).  We teased each other’s foibles, laughed at each other’s jokes, cried with each other’s heartaches, encouraged each other’s strengths, downplayed each other’s faults and prayed for each other’s concerns.

I may not have a lot of money, but I am the richest woman I know!  I have been blessed with an amazing family of friends. I know unequivocally that the people that have been favored to me throughout my life are the people who always have my back, I hope they know that I have theirs as well.
My simple message today is to encourage us to make serious efforts to keep in touch with the friends that we have been blessed with.  It’s so very easy to let friendships fall to the wayside especially with those who are not easily within our daily circles, but at the same time, social media has made it easier so our excuses are becoming less acceptable.

People are placed in our lives for a reason; in other words, our friends are not accidental.  I’m not saying that every person we’ve been friends with is a good influence, but sometimes a bad influence can help us identify some weakness in ourselves to help us recognize and to overcome.

In the next few weeks, I challenge each one of us to make a concerted effort to get in touch and reach out to our friends.  Drop a line, call, text, email, Face Book, Tweet whatever, just make an effort.  Strengthen those heartstrings that keep us all from living a detached, routine, robotic life.   Let’s spend some time enjoying the bounty of our riches.

-Tessa L. Charles