Today I received a call from a friend from the past…friends of forty-five years would like to get together. Although we live miles apart and see each other infrequently, it is like picking up where we left off yesterday when we get together. One person was coming from Nebraska and another would come from three hours away within the state (Kentucky). The message was…they would be arriving precisely at 11:15am for a visit. They were working around my busy schedule so we could spend time together. These friends value my time.
This reminds me of another person I know who is always late. Whether it is 15 minutes or a half hour, she is never on time. Once a group of us waited a half hour at a restaurant for her to arrive to celebrate her birthday when her husband finally suggested we order our meals. She was off on an insignificant errand that could just as easily have been postponed to another time but she made it sound like a monumental event. Yet we felt that she was putting other minute things before us making us feel unimportant and insignificant as well. We felt she did not value our time or us either. Needless to say our get-togethers became fewer and fewer because she did not value our time.
Today my “old” friends …as they always have…made me feel important…and special… worthy of their time…by being prompt…not making me wait for them…making time for me…arriving when they said they would… I appreciated their promptness…their time…and the time we spent together was precious time that brought back wonderful memories of a comraderie that has lasted for 45 years. We enjoyed catching up on all our latest endeavors, our family’s activities and our new escapades…until next “time”.
Several Inspirational Messages
From the Mailbag:
*July 28, 2003 I'll
pray that you continue along your road of healing and that you find the
blessings that accompany each step you take. You are a wonderful blessing to
others and giving comes back in so many ways - so don't be surprised at the
abundance that has your name on it!!! Have fun! Love, Margaret
* July 31, 2003 I received this from a friend today and
decided to share it.
For this could have been written about me. Ruth Gallant
Each
New Day... Author Unknown
I have already decided to love each new day.
It
is a decision I make every morning when I wake up.
I
have a choice. I can spend the day in bed,
recounting
the difficulty I have with the parts of my body
that
no longer work, or don't want to work, or I can
get
out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do work.
Each
new day is a gift and as long as my eyes still open
I
will focus on the new day ahead and all of the happy memories
I
have stored away, just for this time in my life.
And
as I grow older, I will remember
that
old age is like a bank account.
You
withdraw from what you have already put in.
I so agree you only withdraw from life what you put into it!
Make yours a good one! Author unknown
Share an
ounce
of it today!"
***
“Embrace Silence” - Poem by Donna Wallace*
Embrace Silence ~
For that is when your Soul Grows
Embrace Silence ~
For that is when your Heart Sings
Embrace Silence ~
For that is when your Spirit Soars
Embrace Silence ~
Struggling against all odds and never letting
anything coming between her goal.
"I
think I can"
by Mary Ellen Grisham
http://www.geocities.com/emergingcourageous/stories/July2003/IThinkICan.htm
The
Greatest Love Song by Cheri Bown
http://www.geocities.com/emergingcourageous/poetry/July2003/lovesong.htm
Quote worth repeating: “Do not follow where the path
may lead.
Go instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.” Anonymous
Marilyn Dixon Pfanstiel, Editor
Share your stories of courage.
[email protected]
www.emergingcourageous.com
*******