You've Got A Friend

“Good friends are like stars. You don’t always see them, but you know they’re always there. (Old saying)

Charlie Brown has Snoopy.  Scooby Doo has Shaggy. Laverne has Shirley and The
Fonz has Ritchie Cunningham. Okay by the latter examples I am really dating
myself, but my point is where would we all be without true friends? True friends
are what keep us going doing the hard times, keep us laughing in the good times
and keep us from losing our sanity during the craziness that is our lives some
days. If you have those type of people you can count on in your circle of
influence, than consider yourself very blessed. On my Facebook wall I just
posted a picture of the crazy minions from Despicable Me with the heading “If
you have crazy friends, you have everything!“ I completely agree! It doesn’t
matter what age you are, we all can get lonely and need to feel connected. Now
that the spring-like weather is upon us, people feel more energized, like they
have come out of hibernation. Meeting new people or getting reacquainted with
old friends is such a breath of fresh air and so very good for the soul.

Over the March break, I got reconnected with several good friends. I had been
meaning to connect with all of them for quite some time and I am so glad that I
had this incredible opportunity to chat, laugh, reminisce and get updated on the
latest news. One such friend is my friend Debbie. She is truly one of the
funniest people I have ever and probably will ever meet. We spent much of our
childhood growing up together and Debbie always helped me see the humour in life
and lighter side of things. For that I will always be grateful. She also
invented her own unique lingo that I must admit still lingers in some of my
conversation to this day. Her witty comments, unique spin on life, and
adventurous nature made for some very exciting activity when we were together that
is certain. My kids have heard my hilarious “Debbie” stories for years, yet up until
recently had never had the pleasure of meeting her. They too enjoyed catching up
with her and hearing all the latest about people we had known growing up. The
visiting time flew by too fast and when she had to go, I realized how much I had
truly missed her. That is the cool thing about good friends. Good friends can
just pick up where they left off, even if they haven’t seen each other in a
while and still feel completely relaxed and comfortable. 

BFFs are what we call best friends nowadays. I hear a lot about this in my
classroom. I remember when I didn’t even know what that acronym meant, but now
it is very commonly heard. It is easy to see who is friends with who in a small
classroom. It is also easy to see who may be feeling left out. I try to be very
aware of this and set up scenarios where I select the partners, pick teams and
provide a setting of inclusion. I remember when I went to school this did not
always happen. We were asked to pick a partner, or pick teams and the same kids
were often left out. You could see how painful it was for them, so I am so glad
we are making positive steps to move away from that today. Even in a large
crowd, people can feel very alone. I try to be sensitive to that. I have
experienced bullying in the past and I know how humiliating and painful it can
be. I am always mindful to be observant and work to the best of my ability to
ensure that it is not going on with the kids I am working with.

I love the James Taylor song You’ve Got A Friend. My good friend Rosie and I
sang it together in high school. It was one of my proudest moments and fondest
memories of high school. If I do say so myself we had a great duet going on with
some lovely harmonies. I have thought of her often since then, and as fate would
have it, I was able to reconnect with her as well through a recent wedding which
was very cool. The words say “You just call out my name and you know wherever I
am, I’ll come running to see you again! Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you
have to do is call and I’ll be there! You’ve got a friend!” Those lyrics speak
to the power of those true friends who will drop everything to come and help us.
Those type of people are very precious and valued. I hope you are blessed to
have some of those gems in your life.  I am very blessed to have several in that
special category.

The Bible talks about Jesus who is the “friend that sticks closer than a
brother.” Personally I have found that to be so true. Sometimes people can
disappoint us because they are only human, yet God will always be at our side if
we are open to His leadings. I love to talk to God in prayer and share the highs
and lows of my day and I always feel much better after doing so.

Sometimes people need to put themselves out there a bit more to find some new
friends. We cannot expect one day that people will just come knocking on our
door looking for a BFF. It is possible, but unlikely. Joining a cause, or going
to the gym, attending a church service, sporting event, or joining a volunteer
activity can open up many new friendships for you. This may be something to
consider. Good friends come in all shapes, sizes and age categories. Some of my
closest friends through the years have been very different from me, yet despite
our differences we formed amazing bonds and still found we had very much in
common. We developed a kindred spirit that still continues to this day. Be open
minded to new friendships. You never know who might just walk into your life and
become one of your closest and dearest friends.  Think about that my friend!
Friends are one of life’s greatest treasures. Let your “besties” know what they
mean to you today. Believe me they will appreciate it and you will feel great
that you let them know how you feel about them.
Take care my friend!

Dana

Proverbs 17:17: A friend loves at all times…

Little Lesson Learned: Friends are a wonderful gift! Enjoy them and let them know
often how much you appreciate them! You’ll be glad you did!

Copyright: Littlelessonslearnedbydana, 2014