Hello Dear Friends,
At the risk of being labeled a Luddite…or worse, I confess that I dislike the ‘verbing’ of some nouns. One I particularly disdain is the lovely noun FRIEND. I refuse to use the word friend as a verb despite it being captured by Facebook. I won’t surrender!
Friend is a noun, plain and true. A one syllable solid word that speaks volumes. It is a dependable sturdy stand alone word; no jiggling or wiggling about like a verb. Why simply hearing someone say dear friend or be my friend lights up my day. I conjure up the many friends who have swum through my life. Some anchored and stayed. Some swam a few laps of life with me and moved on. Each of them was precious.
There are many phases of friendship. The early one when everyone in the sandbox is your friend. As children we made friends fast. Going to the beach with our family, our youngest son would bolt out of the car and usually before we had the cases unpacked, he was back with a new friend in tow.
Later, like Anne in “Anne of Green Gables”, we searched for a soul mate. Then adulthood brought new sets of friends; co-workers, neighbors, church members. Of these, some remained friends for life, others drifted away. No matter, each left an indelible mark on our lives. That’s because friends are so important to women.
Now in the end zone, we enter another phase of friendship. Is it easier or harder to make friends now? I wonder. Making a new friend takes energy and effort. I know I am slower to reach out my hand. Perhaps some of us bear bruises from a friendship that didn’t meet expectations. Perhaps family obligations are heavy. New challenges face us as we age. Do friends become more important? Think on it and share your thoughts.
We all have been enriched by having a friend. And it isn’t a verb!
“Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our own wings can’t fly”
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