Thinking Out Loud
That's What Friends Are For

June 10, 2013
By: Diane Szczepanski

She is a friend of mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order. It's good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind. ~Toni Morrison, Beloved

I have some of the best friends a woman could ask for.

Men, women, older, younger.

Friends who offer to bring me soup when I don't feel so good. Make me laugh until my side hurts. Borrow me their lip gloss, when I've forgotten mine on a night out and let me use their perfume, even if it is THEIR signature scent.

They've held me up when I've been lower than I thought I could ever sink and shared in victories that brought me great joy.

I've hurt them and they forgave me, misunderstood them and they gently corrected me and prayed FOR them, when I should have prayed WITH them during times of trouble and they thanked me anyway.

I have not been able to figure out why I'm so fortunate. Why my best friends put up with my quirkiness and don't run for cover when I say "I need to vent".

But, they don't.

They stay and listen and borrow me their wisdom along with their shoes and jewelry. They gather my pieces, broken at times and help me make sense of a sometimes senseless world.

They make me laugh and giggle over a good cigar and they'll buy me a beer any chance they can. They are what the world needs more of and are like gifts of gold.

..."a friend of your mind". What a lovely statement. What a lucky woman I am.

Let's raise a glass to all our treasured friends. They deserve it.