When your friends are Friends

I'm going to digress from Health and Fitness, the primary focus of the blog every now and then, and talk about things that may not seem directly related. This post is about the importance of friends.

My "adopted little sister," Kseniya, sent me an email the other day asking me to sign up as one of her "friends" on FaceBook.com. Now I've always thought of those social network sites as Internet hangouts for kids. And while I'm not yet a complete curmudgeon, I am a bit long in the tooth to be hanging out anywhere. Registering at FaceBook.com is the sort of thing I would do on my own. But Kseniya, a thousand mile from here, reached out and asked me to do so - so I did.

That's an example of supporting a friend that's easy to understand; and it was easy to do. Here's another: Materials for this blog and a number of other projects are being researched, planned, and written from the home of a couple of Friends in Rockland County, New York. Lou and Alice. Quakers. I was talking with Alice as we sat at the kitchen table last night when Lou came in and handed me a framed statement printed on parchment. Here's what it said:

Receive Ye Welcome

Let the guest sojourning here know that in this home our life is simple: what we cannot afford we do not offer, but what good cheer we can give, we give gladly.

We make no strife for appearance sake. Know also, friend, that we live a life of labor, therefore, it at times we separate ourselves from thee, do ye occupy thyself according to thy heart's desire.

We will not defer to thee in opinion or ask thee to deter to us, what thou thinkest ye shall say, if thee wish, without giving offense. What we think, we shall also say, believing that truth has many aspects, and that love is large enough to encompass them all.

So, while ye tarry here with us we would have thee enjoy the blessing of a home, health, love, and freedom, and we pray that thou mayest find the final blessing of life - PEACE.

Reader, know that I am able to do what I do because I have had the wise counsel and loving support of friends today, and in days past; here and near-by. Some of them are many miles away; and some are on the other side of the world. But they all abide in my heart.

Be well, and Peace.
Loriman Rhodell