Monday Morning Musing: On Friendship

I am so fortunate to have an amazing collection of friends. They span my life, ranging from early childhood friends to people I have only recently come to know. Two of my friends are battling breast cancer. Two are raising twelve year old daughters. Many are pastors. They are as varied as the passing years have been and yet, ground me in a way that is important.

This past week I had lunch at the new home of two of them, along with another friend. We each brought an unplanned assortment of foods to share. Coffee was made to suit each drinker. We sat in the late summer sunshine and talked about everything from favorite ice cream flavors to who would care for us in our last years. Friendships like that require trust; not everyone is ready to hear that salted caramel is over-rated!

As I give thanks for these many friends, from so many places and seasons, I ran across this poem by January Gill O'Neil about the joy of friendship.

In the Company of Women

Make me laugh over coffee,

make it a double, make it frothy

so it seethes in our delight.

Make my cup overflow

with your small happiness.

I want to hoot and snort and cackle and chuckle.

Let your laughter fill me like a bell.

Let me listen to your ringing and singing

as Billie Holiday croons above our heads.

Sorry, the blues are nowhere to be found.

Not tonight. Not here.

No makeup. No tears.

Only contours. Only curves.

Each sip takes back a pound,

each dry-roasted swirl takes our soul.

Can I have a refill, just one more?

Let the bitterness sink to the bottom of our lives.

Let us take this joy to go.