[2023-03-21] Paths to friends
I spent a portion of the day visiting with friends, walking trails through a forest in the country, then sitting around a bonfire, enjoying lunch and stories.
As I reflected on the day, I thought about how certain places and people are good for our souls. Spending time in nature is rejuvenating, allowing us to pause, breathe and enjoy a moment of inner peace. Spending time with good friends is similarly restorative. People who nurture, validate, serve, entertain and love us are like sunshine on a spring day, a walk in the woods, a warm fire for cold toes, a satisfying meal, and long hugs.
I thought that I had last visited with my friends in the fall, but—in fact—it had been in June. How easily time slips away if we aren't deliberate about connecting with friends. As the Swedish proverb says, "Go often to the house of a friend, for weeds soon choke up the unused path."
May the paths to your friends be well-worn and your footsteps always welcomed.
