Good friends are really hard to find. No one appreciates this more than me. When I moved out to California I left an entire network of friends. In fact, I have always been on the go my whole life. When I graduated high school I moved two hours away to go to college. When I graduated college I moved 1200 miles away for Grad School. After six years living there I moved to Arkansas with my new family. After six years of living there I moved to California. I make friends...I leave...they disappear. Not that it is their fault...it is mostly mine. I tend to be focused on my new environment and push forward not really looking back. I have, through Facebook, caught a few of them and reconnected, but it really isn't the same. Some thankfully like GS have wandered their way back into my life and his case permanently just when I needed him most, saving my life.
I have lost so many dear friends due to circumstances...I miss them.
However, there is one very special friend who has not disappeared. He works very hard at keeping me in his life, and I appreciate it more than he will ever know. We met in High School and have stayed in touch since. He always had this uncanny way of knowing just when to call. He called me just after I found out my grandpa died. He called me just after I found out my dad died. He is always just where I need him. He cared for me during times when I didn't particularly care for myself, and never gives up on me or our friendship. He sends me a birthday card each and every birthday without fail. I am talking a real deal stamped and snail mailed birthday card. He makes time to have lunch with me each time I am in Iowa.
Now I know at times I am not the best friend in the world. Like I said before my life has an uncanny way of overwhelming me and I barely put one foot in front of the other to walk my way through it. Most friends fall by the wayside and get inadvertently put on the back burner. Not him...not Jason. Thankfully he always pops up and reminds me of how much I care for him and how much I appreciate his friendship. Not many friends can say they have been a constant in your life for almost 25 years. I am lucky to know him and call him my friend, and it is due to his hard work.
Except I have done something horrible...
...something that I promised myself I would not do AGAIN this year.
I forgot his birthday...I did...I know...unforgivable...unthinkable...just plain wrong.
I admit my shortcomings and I just hope that he can forgive me and keep working hard to keep me around.
Happy Birthday Jason!! I sent you a little something in your e-mail (if the internet Gods are being kind) to use for a Dolphin something or other for Schula. I can't wait to meet him.
Thank you for being my friend.
More Later
- A Ro
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Hi Amy :-) I read The Bug's blog and saw your most recent post, and thought, "Well, how about making that six?" So I came to visit.
ReplyDeleteWe already have something in common. I'm just dreadful about remembering birthdays, I always have been. A blank spot, a void, exists where important dates should be stored in my brain. I hope I have other attributes that compensate, and trust that I do, after all people seem to keep me around instead of heaving me overboard.
Clearly Jason (the steadfast friend) appreciates you for your many talents, even if remembering birthdays always isn't strictly one of them :-)
What a rare, good friend you found in him, and he in you, I'm sure.
Hey Amy - you won the book! Like I said, I know that my friend Bekah would like it, so you would definitely have one person who would enter to win it when you're done...
ReplyDeleteJust email me your snail mail address & I'll get it out to you (danabug1964@woh.rr.com).