Friendship

Subject: Friendship.

People are the most fertile,  most important ingredient in our lives. The majestic views, of Niagara or Victoria Falls, the beaches or the sunsets, the hotel experience or the night out under the stars all are indifferent to the impact people have made on us in our lives. The friends we had when we were young and the ones we were more intimate with later are the warp and weft of our lives as we integrated  and differentiated between them, as we seek favour and deny favour, as we measure our own actions against them and sometimes, found wanting, we feel jealousy or an anguish that we had not made a better job of cementing that relationship. 
Too easily we withdraw into ourselves for sake of trying and, in the act of trying, we fear the thought of a rebuff and begin to fear fear itself yet how often we are surprised and heartened by the response we receive when we put ourselves out and say hello, good morning how are you today.  Friendship is an asset we too freely squander, taking it for granted and not understanding the opportunities we encourage our greatest fault, that of thinking too much of ourselves. It's a vail inside which we surround ourselves, creating an opacity which we use as a defence.
If we could be more open and see where life takes us in our relationships. If we could loosen our prejudices and become a little less narcissistic.  If we could try to seek new ground on which to build our opinions, then we would all be much better informed.
It should become a habit,  looking around and seeing with our eyes and ears what is going on outside our bubble. If we could evaluate a kindness or a willingness to help as an important interlocutor between people, if we could slow down and not be in so much of a hurry, reflecting more and planning less.
I'm only too aware of how Kiplingesque this is beginning to sound but as one gets older the 'If'  factor becomes like a tolling bell reminding us, in this closing passage in our lives, of so much to do but with little energy to try. 
Our lives are a clutter of objects picked up over the years, sitting on the mantel piece or taking valuable space in the attic but what of the friendships, where are they. When will you write of telephone an old friend, out of the blue to say hello how are you. These people who meant so much in years gone by, who made you laugh or cry, where are they now. 
Take out that old address book, dig out the phone number and try to reconnect as much for them as for you. Do it this Christmas you might give (and receive) the best gift of all, the re-connection with a friend.