Friends Are Friends Forever

I was watching my son play with his favorite friend-his big brother Ian.  His brother is his best friend and the one he always wants to be like.

Lately I have been growing friendships too.  There is the one friendship from college which went sideways for no reasons other than time and distance.  We found each other again on facebook.  Soon we'll be face to face again.

There is the friendship with an incredibly soulful family.  They are hearts with legs.  They are precious without being sticky sweet.  Powerful without being overwhelming.  Our kids initially brought us together.  It is my sincere hope we are together long after we have sent kids to college or down the aisle.

There is one friendship which has stood the test of time.  They knew us before and stuck around long enough for there to be an after.  These are the people I have shared this about, "They know all our stuff and love us anyway."  They have seen the good, the bad and the ugly.  They were the people to whom we first 'came out' about my struggle with post-partum depression.  They are the first people we call when there is news-doesn't matter if it's good or bad.

They are leaders.  They are busy.  It's easy, in the ground warfare that best describes our lives of late, to forget that friendship.  To let the relationship be clouded by circumstance, presumption and miscommunication. 

It usually goes like this.  A few somethings are said or unsaid.  Then there is a strong communication from one side or the other.  A strongly worded e-mail goes back and forth.  Then there is the call.  On the call it starts out chilly but ends up in warmth of prayer.

Today was one of those.  It ended up, as it usually does, in prayer soaked by repentance.  On the way home I had a realization.  The complicated and high stakes circumstances which led us into this difficult but necessary conversation will soon be past.  The complicated and high stakes relationship we have with these friends are, and always will be, part of our future.