True Friendship

We all need something to make us smile occasionally, don't we? I mean, yeah, I know, life gives us reasons to smile every day, but sometimes, someone really does something that matters. A person will step forward and do something for us without any agenda other than to make us feel good.

That's when you realize how great it is to have friends who care.

I was given an award last night. It was given to me by someone who has been so much more of a friend to me than I could ever be to her, but yet she took the time to say to me, "You are a good friend." How can you not smile after something like that?

People sometimes question the value of an "online" friendship. I won't debate it with anyone because it's an intensely personal matter to me, and I can honestly say that some of the very best friendships I have in my life have their roots in online initial contact.

Those friendships include people I have never actually met in person, yet they've brought so much value to my life. Suffice to say that I wouldn't trade those friendships for a million dollars. My life is so much better because I took the time to get to know those people. And that's a sincere statement.

So, while it was a difficult process for me to select only four people to share the award with, I decided, "my blog, my rules" and went ahead and passed this award to a few extra people.

I am sharing this award first with Cassie. Once in a while, we really get lucky in life. I say that because we sometimes encounter good fortune without doing anything to deserve it; it's like a reward for something we haven't done yet. I don't question good fortune, I simply express my gratitude and enjoy the benefit. My friendship with Cassie is something I will always consider a high point in my life. She has literally carried me through some of the worst times of my life, but has also shared some of the best times I've ever had. Her Blog is private at the moment, so I'm not sharing a link, but I am sharing the fact that my life would not be the same without her. She has been blogging with me since way back in the AOL Journals days, and I'm glad she's still writing, and still my friend.

Emily, or "Ms. Emily" as I love to call her, is another friend who has certainly been witness to a lot herself, but who also has always managed to be the kind of friend to me that a lot of other people can only hope for. Emily is another one whose friendship comes with no strings, she's just there all the time.Another fun thing about Ms. Emily is that she never gets tired of kicking my butt in card games. She's just great, it's as simple as that!

Her blog isn't private, although she needs to write more: One Step at a Time.

I think about people who lend a hand in other ways as well. I have a friend who has seen through to the spiritual emptiness that was plaguing me. Kristen is someone who had the wisdom to figure out part of the reason why I was hurting, and recognized that nothing would be right in my life if I didn't have peace with God. She has worked tirelessly to help my find my way back home. I'm almost there, and I'm so grateful to have this friend in my life. You have to realize that, since you know me, dealing with me isn't always easy. She's shown enormous patience and kindness to me. That's a gift that never gets worn out. Thank you, Kristen. I don't want to publish a link to her Blog without permission, but if that works out, I'll gladly share that with you all.

My friend, whom I affectionately call "Mamma" is another person who has helped light my spiritual trail. When I think about all the stories I've ever heard about people lending kindness simply for the sake of being kind, I realize how fortunate I am to have someone like her as a friend. Again, the patience required when dealing with me has to be enormous, and she exemplifies the pure spirit of human kindness with every word she shares with me. This is another case where I am truly blessed. Mamma's blog is located here

Some friends seem as though they have been a part of your life forever. Now I know that this is not the case with my online friends, but it feels good just the same. One of those people is my good friend Nancy, with whom I go way back. If you want to know of someone who really has enormous patience, this is the person to talk to. She has been there before, and I know she'll be there again and again. Her blog is wonderful, and she has an incredible talent for photography that she shares so willingly with us. Come look at the Blog here

I figure I've taken enough of your time for this. I tend to get a little bit gushy when I talk about those people who are so very important. I hope you'll indulge me for today.