Two hikers were walking along the trail, when a Bear suddenly met them on their path. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree and concealed himself in the branches. The other, seeing that he would be attacked, fell flat on the ground, and when the Bear came up and felt him with his snout, and smelt him all over, he held his breath, and feigned the appearance of death as much as he could. The bear soon left him, for it is said a bear will not touch a dead body. When the bear left, the other hiker descended from the tree, and jocularly inquired of his friend what it was the bear had whispered in his ear. His friend replied: "You need to pick better friends."In my counseling practice, referrals are categorized according to illnesses: workplace stress, depression, alcohol abuse. The insurance companies want a diagnostic code 300.01 or 305.0 and know little of the person. However, when I ask someone: "What’s it like?" They share their innermost longings, their deepest pain and joy. Patients often comment about the green ferns and plants and enjoy a wall of floral photos. I find it’s easier to help a person like a good friend then a number. It’s extremely important to get to know the whole person if you are intending to treat them emotionally. I call this the Medicine of the Person.
Like a good soup, there are several ingredients about a friend which makes them special to us. Let’s begin with a bunch of trust. We share our innermost feelings, thoughts, ambitions, doubts and disappointments with them, things about ourselves which we would not share with just anyone. We trust that special someone before we "let it all hang out". Next comes a dash of faithfulness. Friends are there for us through thick and thin, in good times and the bad, when everyone else has deserted us. Then, comes a pinch of integrity. A friend is someone who will give us a sounding board, who will challenge our ideas and make them more real. With abandoned we add a heaping dose of forgiveness. A friend is someone who will forgive us if we hurt them with an unkind word or deed. They will not bear a grudge. Don’t forget to sprinkle with lots of joy. Our best times are spent with friends who accept us for who we are, and not someone we have to pretend to be. We can "let our hair down" with them, and drop our usual self-defenses, because we know that they will not hurt us. Did you ever have the experience that even after long separations, friends can meet again and it's as if they'd never been apart? That’s the best feeling. Sometimes, we have to take sometime out. We have to be willing to make sacrifices for one another. We give them our time in listening to their problems. And sometimes we even give up our lives for them. How true this is especially on this Memorial Day weekend when we honor those who laid down their lives for their country. Friendship means not counting the cost.
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that they may know that in spite of all our business and turmoil, You love us always and forever. You trust us, forgive us, made us equal, been faithful to us, sacrificed Your life for us and given us joy. But most of all, You loves us unconditionally. May the love of God reign in your hearts always.
