Friends...ya need 'em

[buckwheatpaul]

Friends ...... a thought.

A newlywed young man was sitting on the porch on a humid day, sipping ice tea with his father.

As he talked about adult life, marriage, responsibilities, and obligations, the Father thoughtfully stirred the ice cubes in his glass and cast a clear, sober look on his Son.

"Never forget your friends," he advised, "they will become more important as you get older."

"Regardless of how much you love your family and the children you happen to have, you will always need friends. Remember to go out with them occasionally (if possible), but keep in contact with them some how.

"What strange advice!" thought the young man. "I just entered the married world, I am an adult and surely my wife and the family that we will start will be everything I need to make sense of my life."

Yet, he obeyed his Father; kept in touch with his friends and annually increased their number. Over the years, he became aware that his Father knew what he was talking about.

Inasmuch as time and nature carry out their designs and mysteries on a person, friends are the bulwarks of our life.

After 70 years of life, here is what he, you and I will have learned:

Time passes.

Life goes on.

Children grow up.

Children cease to be children and become independent. And to the parents, it breaks their heart but the children are separated of the parents because they begin their own families.

Jobs/careers come and go.

Illusions, desires, attraction, sex...weakens.

People cannot do what they did physically when they were young.

Parents die but you move on.

Colleagues forget the favors you did.

The race to achieve slows.

But, true friends are always there, no matter how long or how many miles away they are.

A friend is never more distant than the reach of a need, intervening in your favor, waiting for you with open arms or in some way blessing your life.

When we started this adventure called LIFE, we did not know of the incredible joys or sorrows that were ahead We did not know how much we would need from each other. Love your parents, take care of your children, but keep a group of good friends. Stay in touch with them but do not impose your criteria.


Send this to your friends (even those you seldom see) who help make sense of your life...

[Grmps]

[GhostHawk]

We have a lot of acquaintances, some closer than others.

But a true friend is the one you can call when your car breaks down 40 miles from anywhere. And when you hang up the phone you stop worrying. Because you KNOW he is coming, and won't get distracted.

A true friend is one who finds the money to post bail for you at 3am after you did something stupid.

A true friend is one who when you are accused of sexually molesting your step daughters is still there.
Who when he hears you are forced to leave your home invites you into his. Who helps raise your bail money. Who is there in court every day until it is over.

You won't find many of those, you have to grow them. Plant the seeds, water them, tend them, nurture them.

Take the time, its worth it.

I was the one who's car broke down, V was the one who needed bail. And who went to court.

Its gone both ways, as it should.

Treasure them when you find them. Love them while they are here, and tell them so. Miss em when they are gone. It is all you can do.

[Catshooter]

I read once that a man is as rich as he has friends. Whole lot of truth in that.


Cat

[Dave C.]

All my friends are dead or in jail.

No. Really!

[blackthorn]

During your lifetime if you have ten REAL friends, count yourself among the most fortunate of people!

[Idaho Mule]

Friends are better than gold. JW

[Hootmix]

I once told a fell'r ,, a man can find a wife on any street corner ,, a friend will find " you ",, I got lucky ,, found both ,, on the same corner ,, ( 31 yrs. so far ) .
coffee's ready ,,Hootmix .

[Bazoo]

I have only a few friends, most of them only call when they need something. Either need to use my range, or need a hand with something. The others I dont hear from unless I call them. My wife sees it, My friends and I say we're friends... but dont really act like friends. Been like that a long time with me, I never had any friends in school, started working at 16, and was "friends" with folks at work. When they quit the job, didnt hear from them. I gave up on friends a long time ago.

I read old books, from the 50s and 60, folks growing up together being friends all their lives and such.. Not anymore, but I wish I had a friend like that.

[jmort]

The term "friend" is also loosely used to mean aquantiance. Realistically, a man is fortunate to have a couple few real friends in his entire lifetime.

[Texas by God]

Get Cancer and see who checks on you weekly and helps do what you can't. That's your true friends.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[GhostHawk]

Hard times will sift the lot and separate the wheat from the chaff.

I've had maybe 4 or 5 over the years that I could count on. And count myself fortunate.
Still have one with me. Not as many as I would like but better than none.

[DerekP Houston]

I have only a few friends, most of them only call when they need something. Either need to use my range, or need a hand with something. The others I dont hear from unless I call them. My wife sees it, My friends and I say we're friends... but dont really act like friends. Been like that a long time with me, I never had any friends in school, started working at 16, and was "friends" with folks at work. When they quit the job, didnt hear from them. I gave up on friends a long time ago.

I read old books, from the 50s and 60, folks growing up together being friends all their lives and such.. Not anymore, but I wish I had a friend like that.

Funny how a job change and suddenly people I talked to everyday can't be bothered to answer an email. It's a shame but I attribute it to my generation and instant gratification. Lots of acquaintances few friends.

[Bazoo]

When my house burnt down, we seen who our friends were.

[brass410]

go into business for yourself, charge fairly for your work and do a good job, that's when you'll find out whats what! Friends know that you do it to pay bills, and eat and provide for your family but they wont deal with you no they would rather have buddy down the road do the work for a box of beer or worse free cause you know we"re friends TRUE friends show up and have you do the job even if you are a little more than whoever, they dont come in and expect you to donate to there kids little league and then do business 50 miles out of town. True friends feel a little sheepish when they ask for donations and you feel worse because you should have known they would be looking for one and didn't have something ready. Few people will have true friends, but I do, they are my longtime customers, they don't ask, and I never decline to offer time, money, or just a place come and sit and talk when the load gets to great.

[koehn,jim]

There is an old Irish greeting, May your house never be big enough to hold all your friends.

[If1Hitu]

Some of y'all may laugh at this,but after living 68 years,I know for sure that the only true friend I ever had and still have is my Wife after 46 years.We been though it all together,and most if not all the bad was my fault.Truth!

[Smk SHoe]

I figure I can handle 5 friends. If I need to add a new one I will have to get rid of a old one. Have three right near me and two 1/2 a country away. Got all I need.
A friend will help you move. A good friend will help you move a body.

[brass410]

I figure I can handle 5 friends. If I need to add a new one I will have to get rid of a old one. Have three right near me and two 1/2 a country away. Got all I need.
A friend will help you move. A good friend will help you move a body.

that's just absolutely true