True Friends

It was just a simple Christmas card. A Christmas tree with fireplace on the front and a verse wishing us Happiness throughout the coming year. What was so special was the note inside. A note I look forward to each year. The chance to catch up on the news of a very dear friend, her family and other friends that we don't get to see on a monthly basis. This year the card was different.
Several weeks ago I read a joke about friendship. While not word for word, it went something like this: "A friend is someone who will bail you out of jail. A 'true friend' is someone who is sitting there beside you saying, "But didn't we have fun?". For over thirty-four years I have had two such 'true friends', Mary and Carolyn.
No, we haven't been in jail together but that's about the only thing we haven't shared! Our friendship has truly stood the test of time and there have been more joys and sorrows than I care to think about. We've shared recipes, raised our children with each others help, held one another as two of us buried our sons, prayed as Mary fought cancer twenty-six years ago and gave words of comfort as all three of us lost our husbands. Like the Three Musketeers it was always, "All for One, One For All".
In October of 2004 more tragedy was to hit us . Our precious Mary was once again diagnosed with cancer. In January of 2005 she went Home to be with the Lord. In those three and half months Carolyn and I shared many phone calls, visits and tears. Once again we were pressed to the breaking point and once again we were there to hold on to one another.
When Carolyn's card arrived this week it was a bittersweet time. While thrilled to read her family is well and she's going to be a grandmother again it was also a sad time. Once again it brought back memories of our Mary and how much we both miss her. In Carolyn's note she talked of finding a poem Mary had sent her years ago. In my note back I'll be telling her how Mary's old letters keep coming up in the oddest places...An old magazine or book. Almost like she's saying, "Don't forget what I had to say...It's important!" Like we could ever forget her! Both of us are so Blessed to have had her in our lives for thirty-four short years and she'll always be with us.
As you write your Christmas notes this year, I pray everyone of them his going to 'true friends'. Those that would be sitting right there in jail beside you.