A couple I knew when living in Washington state stopped by on their return trip home and stayed over for a few days. It was great to see them again, it’s been 14 years since I moved away for the sake of my health. The cold, wet winters and all the molds and bacterial that come with them were overwhelming my immune system.
We were good friends then and are good friends still because they’re good, outspoken people who survived hard lives with more integrity than they were ever taught to have by those who raised them, which is exactly how I also see myself.
Having them here, sharing memories of good times past and renewing the feelings of closeness and caring that were there before, reminded me of the value to me of others whom I hold dear. It’s easy to take old friends for granted. We shouldn’t.
Good friends are the true shining gems in our lives. Family often fails us while true friends are there for life, at least, this is my experience. My family never valued me, having friends that do and do so consistently over the many years validates us. We validate each other and support each other in our feelings of self-worth.
I have found that the truest, most supportive, the very best of friends are those who have suffered some of the worst life can offer and survived it, risen above it, regained the self-respect that is everyone’s birthright and made good, honest, productive lives for themselves. They understand the value of truth and how important it is for happiness and self-respect.