Friends share and friends care - that we all know, and I'm lucky enough to be able to say that I've had one friend for 40 years (in September). We met our freshman year in college and have shared and cared our ways through at least one of nearly every life event - boyfriends and breakups, new jobs and career changes, new businesses and corporate takeovers, a couple of marriages (each) and the ensuing divorces, births and deaths, laughter and sorrow. These events and our friendship have played on the stages of at least seven states (she moved a lot) and numerous countries if you count her business travel and my vacations.
My longtime friend came to visit a week ago with her two daughters and a friend of hers; my friend lives in Rhode Island and I live in New York. We all have such a good time when we get together and pick up right where we left off. Over the years we've learned to respect each other's choices, to offer advice and never lecture, to critically support but never criticize, and to recognize that we each have our own separate path in this life, we're just lucky enough to share and be part of the other's journey.
These friends gave me some beautiful tulips during their stay and a week later I'm still enjoying them. They greet me every morning in the bay window in the living room, bathed in sunlight - and remind me how very lucky I am.
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