I'm really only now at age 58 beginning to learn the real meaning of friendship. We believe we understand these things at various times in our lives; and we do! But the depth of our understanding becomes ever more heartful and meaningful as we travel the path of life with the people we come to know as true friends.

For example, one might think as an axiom; "A friend is someone who is always there when you need them". Well, in reality that's not always possible. Sometimes real life prevents a friend from being there when you really need them because they have needs of their own; but that doesn't mean they don't really love you. And if you really love them, you understand and accept it.

We might also think that a friend is someone who would never hurt us. The truth is, whenever people really care about each other there is a chance someone will get hurt. That's just part of life! What real friends do in a situation like that is communicate their emotions, talk about it and work it out. They forgive each other and move on.

I've lost track of good friends over time, and then found them years later. We picked up as if no time had passed between us at all! It was uncanny and I am ever mystified by the resilience of love.

I told you about my recent visit back to my home town and my 40th high school reunion. The only reason I was able to attend that event was my BFF for most of my life, Marsha Hannah. This little squirt of a girl...women now of course...has been a mate of mine since 3rd grade. We practiced our violin lessons in my bedroom together when we were nine years old. Boy did we hate it. We were "fast" together, smoking our first cigarettes and tasting our first sips of beer at around age twelve in the field behind the beach. We sat together in French class and discovered the Beatles at 13.
Our parents even allowed us to travel to Toronto together twice to see the Beatles..silly parents...and we discovered trouble. Ah, youth.

In our junior year, Marsha's family had to move away. It was a heart breaking event for me...but I was already use to heartbreak and got a little bit harder and a little bit tougher as a result. I lost track of her.

Over the years I thought about two little Beatle-maniacs let loose on the world...faking British accents, burning incense, drinking English tea, sewing mini skirts out of mattress ticking. We did the funniest things, and I wondered where she was.
One night I was watching television and there was a show on about the CIA's remote viewing project. They were interviewing a professor from UC Davis who had done all the statistics on the project and it was...Marsha's sister!! I got on my computer, found Jet's info, emailed her, and within less than 24 hours, Marsha and I were reunited! And like I said above...it was as if no time had ever passed between us.

Then I get a call a few months ago about this fantasy of hers and the next thing I know, the two of us are attending the 40th high school reunion together! Even though she really never got to graduate with us...she went from kindergarten to eleventh grade with us! And the fact is, without her help, I could not have gone at all. I don't drive. I could not afford to go either. That girl paid my way! I tried to pay for meals and so forth..and she allowed me to. And then when I wasn't looking, she popped money into my handbag. My health isn't real good at the moment, so she looked after me like a mother hen. She bought me a reunion tee shirt after I spent my extra money on a tip for the hotel attendant - called it my birthday present. So, I always thought I knew what friendship was, but Marsha has so raised the bar that I don't know who could ever come close to meeting up to those standards! She is one in a billion. Not even my own family has ever shown me so much consideration or thoughtfulness. Who is that sweet and kind and generous? I don't just have friends for friends..I have angels.

So her fantasy of attending her high school reunion with me came true, but for me...she changed my entire perception of how I remember my old home town. Instead of looking at it from the point of view of what a lousy time my parents gave me there...I now look at it as what a great time Marsha and I had growing up there, and how lucky I was then, and am now to have a friend in her.