Old friends are some of my greatest blessings. When I refer to “old friends,” I’m not talking about their ages. I’m talking about how long we’ve known each other, like since childhood. Long-term friendships are amazing because the relationships get sweeter as the years go by. The best part of having old friends is the shared life history. We knew the same people. We lived through the same events. We’re at the same point in life so we have similar experiences and trials that we are facing. Or in the case of being “old,” share the aches, pains, and afflictions of that time of life.
I’m still in touch with a lot of friends that I’ve known since elementary school. After high school, we lost touch with each other as we went our separate ways. I kept in touch with a few of them, mostly my closest friends. As our children were born and our careers started, we lost touch but always sent Christmas cards with our latest news. That thread of contact continued until Facebook came to be. That’s when we really reconnected and became closer and even added old friends we’d lost touch with. Our 50th class reunion was well attended because of those connections.
I also keep in touch with friends from places where Hubby and I lived. Friendships that stretch across decades are precious. Time and distance have done nothing to lessen our connection. I’m so thankful for cell phones and computers that make contact so immediate and easy.
We live all over the US, but thanks to the magic of technology, we stay in touch via Facebook and texts. We share what’s happening in our lives, ask for prayers and kind words, news of new grandbabies and great-grands (are we really that old?), and vacations. Now that we’re older, our health issues get more serious, but we always know our old friends are praying for us. That’s comforting.
Sadly, we’ve lost a few of our friends. We miss them but always remember them. They won’t be forgotten, not as long as at least one of us is still living.
I love growing old with my old friends. I cherish them all.
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for he has not another to help him up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10