You Know You Have a Friend When...

Today I am noticing and celebrating friendship.  Tonight I am going out to dinner with three good friends.  I have been blessed with good friends, so here is a list of just a few things that I notice about my friends…

You know you have a good friend when…

•          You come home from a long day’s work to be greeted with a package.  My package today was Hawaiian suntan oil and a DVD with scenes and sounds from the beach from a friend supporting my need for a “hut” getaway.  I love to get and give these packages.
•           You talk to your friend almost daily, coming to and from school.
•          You finish each other’s sentences.
•          You share meals (sometimes cooking and dropping off the food for the friend to enjoy, sometimes cooking and sharing the bounty together, sometimes sharing a meal out)
•          Your friend comes to be with you when you have heard devastating news.
•          You can bring your computer to your friend’s house to hang out on a Sunday doing work together just because.
•          You know you always have a place to stay when you travel to where your friend is.
•          You can be at an event and both give your time to others without feeling deprived because your friend is doing other things.
•          Your friend celebrates your accomplishments and promotes you.     
•      Your friend tells you honestly and with love things that get in the way of a deeper friendship and willingly works to deepen the friendship.
•           You don’t see each other for a while because you live in separate towns and the conversation picks up as if you had never been away from each other.
•          You are troubled about something and you get regular check-in calls.
•           Your friend tells you things they think might be getting in your way, couched in things that are appreciated.
•          You laugh with your friend till your belly hurts and you are breathless.  And no one around you gets it, which makes you and your friend want to laugh even more.
•          You know you can tell your friend anything and that is reciprocal.
•           You discover more about yourself from talking to your friend.
•           You never get tired of being with your friend.

My life is richer because of the friendships that I have.  My friends have been generous, faithful, understanding, supportive, honest, reciprocal, humorous and wise.  I have virtual friends.  I have long distant friends.  I have work friends.  I have friends that fill the daily-ness of my life.  My friends are dear to me.  They make my life rich and fill me with joy and gratitude.  Today I celebrate friendship in all of its forms.

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for dedicating space and time for teachers and teachers of literacy to come together to share ideas, practice and life experience.