Friendship

It is still Thursday, May 29 when I write this – my birthday.  All day long – ALL DAY LONG my cell phone has been in my hand almost constantly because of my many friends.  I’ve received a wealth of esteeming notes, greetings, reminiscences, and encouraging words from friends new and friends of long ago.

Friends have always been an important element in my life, for I am a relational person.  I love making friends and keeping them.  I’ve lived in some pretty diverse quadrants of the US:  Tennessee, Orlando, Albuquerque, Seattle, Spartanburg SC, Anderson IN, Dallas and Waco, Centralia WA and back to Seattle.  Along the way I’ve collected friendships like some people collect baseball cards.

My friendships are pretty amazing and special to me.  And then along comes Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, email and US mail.  And my friendship list has grown.  I have a great host of friendships on social media sites and though we’ve never met face to face I feel some kind of connection to many of those individuals.  You see, I follow their lives daily.  I see their joys, their trials, sometimes their tears and heartbreaks, their foolishness, their pictures of kids, grand-kids, and pets and of days gone by.  We are friends.

We are in each other’s lives.  We track with each other.  We care, we follow, we laugh, we hurt when there is pain and we cheer for the victories.

We are friends.

What better thing is there to say than that? 

And then there are those with whom I’ve connected in

person.  I can recount story after story of my friendships with you.  I have a memory that seems to be very alive and well, for I can remember many shared experiences with you.  Church musicals, choir trips, college days, donut runs, Halloween dress-up times, eating pecan pie in the closet, dropped drum sticks, choir rehearsals, and the list goes on. 

It’s friendship!  

   Making memories  

      Celebrating life

         Sometimes enduring life together

I’ve shared in the birth of your child, I’ve become a God-parent to some of your children, I’ve held your children and grandchildren in my arms, and I’ve held some of you as you struggled in life.

And you have done the same for me.  Some of you have seen me on top, and some have seen me in tears.  You have laughed with me, cried with me, done crazy things with me, played ping pong with me, played and sang in church choirs and orchestras, acted in dramas and so much more.

And what do we have to show for it? 

FRIENDSHIP!

Friendship in all of its guts and glory.

I’m big on FRIENDSHIP.

You have extended your hand and heart to me.  I only hope I have returned this gesture of love.

Thank you – My Friend!

Thank you very much!

P Michael Biggs

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