friends

two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
if one falls down,

his friend can help him up.

But pity the man who falls

and has no one to help him up!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

i feel so blessed that i have friends who lift me up when i am down.. during the lowest portions of my life, there are some who give me pieces of advice and comfort me with words of encouragement.. there are some who do not say a word -- they just look at me, watch me cry, hold my hand and listen.. the warm touch, the time that they spend with me is enough comfort to my broken heart..

i realize that i am blessed because i have such wonderful people.. those gifted with humor make me laugh even when i am in tears, those who have the gift of music sing to me or play to me a good song to put a smile on my face.

it is amazing how friends understand each other even in the absence of words. however, we do not teach friends how to love us.. we all have ways to express love.. we should not expect other people to love is our way.. let us allow them to love us their way..

a friend will protect you even if it means laying down his or her life for you. a friend will not talk about your weaknesses and faults behind your back because a friend will correct you in a loving way. a friend will not keep grudges in his or her heart against you.. because love covers all wrongs.

a friend loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17). when misunderstandings arise, a friend will still love you. still love you even when you are at your most unlovely self. a friend will not take advantage of you, will not use your words against you, does not celebrate your failures but shares your grief to make it half..

friends are God's gifts to us.. they give us more reasons to breathe, more reasons to smile.. more reasons to love ourselves more and more reasons to share the love inside us.. wonderful! isn't it?

to the people who touched my life.. i praise God for you.. thank you very much for sharing your lives with me.