Friendship

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.
Oprah Winfrey

The language of friendship is not words but meanings.
Henry David Thoreau

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.
Thomas Aquinas

We call that person who has lost his father, an orphan; and a widower that man who has lost his wife. But that man who has known the immense unhappiness of losing a friend, by what name do we call him? Here every language is silent and holds its peace in impotence.
Joseph Roux

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.
Henri Nouwen

Friends are born, not made.
Henry B. Adams

It takes a long time to grow an old friend.

John Leonard

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow.

 Just walk beside me and be my friend.
Albert Camus 

I wanted to share some profound insight on friendship.  I have pondered it for days while thinking about the above photograph that was shot this past weekend on a camping trip with some family friends.  The picture is of my youngest son, Samuel (on the right) and his best 'bud' Jacob (on the left).  Their's is a friendship that was formed in pre-school and a bond that has not been shaken by distance or time away from each other.  Yes, they are only 7 and 8, respectively.  But when I look at this photo, I wonder, "What is it that makes a friendship"?  What is the 'tie that binds'?  I'm afraid that I have no profound insight, but I have made and held onto some amazing friendships over the years.  And to you, my friends, I say, "Thank you.  Thank you for always being there."


The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing... not healing, not curing... that is a friend who cares.
Henri Nouwen

Flying in Formation

I wanted to share with you how my personal blog name came to be.  I had given it much thought and a friend had suggested that if  I just waited, it would come to me.  Well, I'm not one to wait.  My faith has always been strong in the "Know I am God" part of Psalm 46:10, but it's the 'Be still" that I struggle with.  So one night while I was lying in bed having a conversation with God and talking about my blog, several thoughts came creeping in.  First, I thought of "The Cliff", the one from the photo above,
but that wasn't sitting right with me and my mind kept soaring.  Thoughts, pictures, words...my mind just wouldn't be still.  Then I thought of geese flying in formation.  In case you don't know  WHY geese fly in a V formation, you can read it here.  I thought of my family and this huge adventure that we are about to undertake.  I thought of each one of us having to pull for the other, someone always having to take the lead.  I really liked the visual.  I liked it a lot.  Then another thought entered my mind...If God is the head of our life, then He would take the lead; relieving us of the burden.  It made me smile.  I knew that I had the name for my blog.  After that, the others just seemed to fall into place.


Here's a little funny...a friend complimented me on how I managed to work some reference to transportation into each of the individual blog names:  WHEEL Life, FLYING in Formation, and ROAD Scholars.  I'd love to leave you believing that I am that clever.  But I'm not.  It was purely coincidence.  :)


Lastly, if you have never seen the movie Fly Away Home,  I highly recommend it.  You won't be disappointed.