Friday, April 17, 2009

Fresh Air And A Friend

Yesterday a friend met me at the Kennebec River Rail Trail to take a walk on a cool spring day. She lives an hour and a half in the opposite direction, so occasionally we meet somewhere in between.

She greeted me with a hug and compliments on my hair, which she hadn't seen yet. Years ago she was my stylist, so I was curious what she would think.

We started walking and talking about what's new in our lives. I talked and she listened. She talked and I listened. We have both hit a rough patch. While we can't change what's going on, we can share and listen and hear how the other person feels. I don't understand exactly how that helps, but it does. When a friend hears me, the weight of the world is a bit easier to bear.

Near the end of our walk my friend saw two women she knows. They said hello and chatted a moment. Then one of the women looked at me and said, "This is your sister." [Did I mention that I am old enough to be her mother?] I smiled and said I was a friend.

We parted with a hug and the promise to talk soon.

It makes a difference to have her support, as it has helped to have the support of every one of you who has given me a "virtual" hug. Thank you. I needed that.

2 comments:

Joanne said...

I'm so glad you took that walk with your friend. It's exactly what I mean when I say walking takes me places ... not always physically, but spiritually, emotionally. There's a magic in it, and if I stop walking for a few days, I truly miss it. Happy walking to you!

Anonymous said...

Rough patches are tough, I know, but thankfully we have soul friends with whom to weather them. Hope things look up for you soon.