Friends

June 26, 2010

It’s been a month (well, just over) since I got back and I have spent the better part of it returning to reality.  The transition has removed the glamour of travel somewhat… although not completely.  I’m trying to hold to my resolution, and I think that I have.  You’ll need to ask my friends if they see any difference..I do find my thoughts straying often back to Jordan, and to Petra.  I don’t know, and I don’t think I will for certain, if my fascination is due to the strangeness and difference, and if it will fade with distance… and whether I am romanticizing it beyond all reality.  I have a strong urge to return and see it again.  I dream of going back, and of walking through the streets of Medaba again.  Don’t ask me why Jordan, and why not somewhere else.  So, that’s my next trip.  I will either fall even further in love with it, or the rose coloured glasses will fade, and I will decide that I don’t need to return quite so often. 

I have, though, really come to appreciate my friends a lot more in the past few weeks.  It happens at this time of year that I take an accounting of my life and what I’ve accomplished (or not) against my plans, and every year I’m struck by how much of the stability and happiness in my life comes from the friends that I have.  It’s odd, because on any given day, I may not see that many, and there are long stretches when some will disappear, but there’s an overall continuity of friends on whom I tend to rely for various things.

There are some who are daily constants, including my family (and I know how lucky I am to be able to count my family as friends) with whom I share minor ups and downs, the tiny frustrations of everyday existence.  Then there are others who will only appear after long stretches, but we pick up as though the conversation was interrupted for a minute or two. 

I have those with whom I can laugh at almost anything, and on whom I can rely to share a good giggle.  They will brighten my day just by being there.  We discuss things of great import – like food, and how good it tastes (the all important question: “Where shall we eat next?”).  Or the warmth of the sun.  Or how incredibly silly a hat looks when I wear it.  (Except my white cowboy hat.  That always looks stunning.)

There are those who are great for advice, and those who always seem to need it.  The ones who let me share their children’s growing up moments, and to my own three… the thousands of questions we’ve asked and answered over the years! And all the other thoughts, secrets, comments, and moments of being friends that have happened all my life.  I guess the important thing is that those times do happen.  Some of them quite by chance, and some take great planning and effort. 

Cheers, mates!  You’re all absolutely amazing, which is one of the things you all have in common.  I was trying to think of what unites my friends (I mean, apart from me) and there’s the distinguishing characteristic that they’re all wonderful, charming, talented, brilliant people.  Which may explain why we’re never all together at once:  That’s just too much awesome to be combined in one place