My Rare Finds

It is a lazy Saturday afternoon, a welcome break from work. Actually that is a bit of a lie because I cannot seem to stop working even from home and ever since I learned a few things in the computer, I cannot keep away from it once I hit the start button.

I am tinkering around the computer and was wondering what I could write about in my next blog, and lately, I have been mulling over my relationships. So I guess it is only fitting that I write about them because I am very fortunate to have quite a number of friends who I love dearly.

I distinctly remember one of my good friends telling me way back... "you know what Loraine, you should not take your friends for granted." At that time I was a young
wife and young mother. I was so engrossed with my 2 young babies and my husband, and my world revolved around them. She said that apart from family, friends are our treasures in life. She warned me that if I keep myself away from friends, then I will be the loneliest when I grow old. Way back then I was thinking, oh maybe she is just a little bit melodramatic because I did not have time to see her as often as she would have wanted.

An interesting thing happened lately that made me take a long hard look at my relationships. I never thought that an office team building activity would trigger so much emotion but it did. And this I realized, I am one lucky person to have an amazing set of friends who I love to no end. Oh do not think it was easy finding them. I must say that in any relationship, be it love or friendship, one is bound to be hurt one way or another. But I guess that is the way love is, and to borrow the words of a friend of mine, it can take you to heights of "extreme pleasure and pain." Such simple words but true. I guess that is why God made our hearts that way, a very strong muscle to take the beating of the hurts that some people inflict on it, and at the same time strong enough not to burst when we feel pleasure and happiness. Yes, I could say my heart has taken a lot of beating from people I consider my friends, but it is mighty unfair for me to expect too much from some people to return the same intensity of love I give. I guess that is the way love is, expecting nothing in return. Or am I just saying that to protect my heart from getting hurt. Somebody once told me that I am setting myself up for a heartbreak because I invest too much love on people who show me the slightest affection. But I guess that is the way I am. For how can I find the treasure if I do not even dig among the dirt. And along the way, I am proud to say I found beautiful and precious stones among the rocks and dirt. Consider yourself lucky if you have found a diamond, for they are rare. Cherish and keep them forever. Sometimes we find coal, friends who need some time and polishing to bring out the brilliant sparkle of the diamond hidden beneath the dark surface. And sometimes, we find treasures in unexpected places and they are a pleasant surprise. A breath of fresh air. Just when you think you have enough precious stones in your little treasure chest, you find there is still space for a new one. It is a rare find indeed if you find someone who can laugh with you and at you, someone who can be as silly if not sillier than you, someone who helps you to no end without asking for something in return, someone who tells you you are wrong because you really are and not sugarcoat it, someone who you can talk to for hours end and still not run out of things to talk about, someone who pesters you or irks you but someone you miss terribly as soon as the pestering stops, someone who puts a smile on your face even when there is nothing to smile about, and best of all, someone who talks and listens to your soul as if it is the most natural thing to do. I will never regret the hurts I have been through in my search for the precious stones in my life. The wounds that the sharp rocks and dirt inflicted on me have helped me appreciate more the joys and laughter my precious friends and I share. The appellation "friend" is not a term I use loosely because I take it to heart when I call you such. It comes with my respect, trust, love and affection. I am very lucky to have found the truest ones, because I know they will always be with me in my journey through life.