I am not a morning person. At all. But, in some seasons, I will get up early in the morning to run with my friends before work. It is the best time to exercise, honestly, compared to after work when I’m tired/there are other things competing with my time/I just want to go home. But, since I’m not a morning person, when the alarm goes off and the room is still pitch dark, I don’t let myself think that I am going to go run several miles. Instead, I try to convince myself that I am just going to meet up with my friends. Friendship is what gets me out of bed.
There is incredible power in friendship. That desire to mesh with another person starts early as we see kids form these bonds well before they can speak a full sentence. Friends are those kindred souls who can help carry an emotional burden or know how you are doing based on just one word or a look.
There are some friendships that start early in childhood and remain intact for decades. Even if that person isn’t nearby geographically, the foundation those shared experiences helped to lay keeps that bond strong.
There are some friendships that develop from a difficult situation. Another person who was living in that other world with you where the sky is gloomy and fears are lurking around every corner. Just having another soul walk through those moments at the same time makes us a little stronger until the sun finally breaks through.
Friendship is one of the greatest gifts to humanity and is one of the best examples of the good around me. I’ve moved a lot and the collection of friends I have from the years means so much more than any tangible reminder of past homes. Those men and women who play a starring role in my memories were why those places became so special to me.
I hope you get to spend time with a friend today.
Image: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poems/friend/