“Whose Your Best Friend?”…….

I have been asked before, what makes a “best friend”?  Throughout my 59+ years, I have had several good friends, close friends and many acquaintences.  Yet, I admit, I have been jealous of those women who could say, they had a true “best friend”.  Like, you know, Oprah and Gail.  I also wondered what that meant.  Not until I was in my 50′s was I priviledged enough to truly have one.  She didn’t just fit a mold that I had set.  She just morphed into the mold God had created for me.  I do not mean to boast in the least here.  I just want to acknowledge her and let others know that God hears and sees our desires, and cares.

When I was asked that question, it made me wonder.  What does make a best friend for me?  I realized that it just happened.  I learned “what” it was and “when” it happened.  When there was trust.  I know she would not listen or believe anything negative about me from anyone, nor I her.   Do I think that she is perfect, not really.  But any faults that we may have, I see as her charms, or part of her character.  I most times, think  they are funny and we laugh about them.  Here, I can only speak for my side of this.  She may hate my faults, I don’t know.  Of course, she has never mentioned it to me, we just laugh.

She has been a world traveler.  I am not.  Tennessee is about as far as I go.  She may even go on  adventures with other friends and I really think it is wonderful.  When she gets home, I get to here about what she saw, smelled, ate and experienced.  I love that.  She has brought me rocks from various places and I am completely happy with that.  Again, I am not tooting my own horn here.  It is more natural for me to be jealous, or feel left out.  It is not my human character to be this way.  Praise the Lord, it is His character and He allows this for me.  It is another thing that makes this relationship work.

She has only my best interest at heart and I hers.  I trust that.  I truly know, she would never, ever want anything but the best for me and mine.  And I for her.  When I needed to exercise for my health, she joined the gym and pushes me harder for my own good.  When I face heartache, she cries with me.  She allows me to be me, faults and all.  No judgements, no expectations.  I am accepted for who I am.

Of course, we do have many things in common, which adds to it.  First and formost, we share a love of our Lord.  We share a desire to walk, live and breathe and grow in Him.  We enjoy quiet times alone with our Father.  Another, our husbands each own businesses.  We are alone a lot, her more than me.  We like movies, food, tanning, worship music, reality shows, eating at Chevy’s and Chili’s.  We like books, shopping at Trader Joe’s and WalMart and flan.  We really enjoy people, whoever they are and love to love their differences.  She encourages me to be a better person and to “love well”, to look for the good in people and keep a distance from those who cause us to be negative.  We bounce off of each other that way.  We have gone to the “care home”, just to visit the folks there.  We can learn so much from them and they look happy.  We like to be together and pray for each others families, our church leaders. 

An enormous thing we have in common is our love of dogs.  Not just our dogs, but all dogs, well, with the exception of a few.  To us, our dogs are our children.  My Sookie and her Tahoe are best friends.  They love to be together.   They play,  run, share toys and beds and balls and couches.  They share bones and food.  They have play dates and sleepovers and we love to watch them and are completely delighted in their fun. 

To sum this all up, I think a “Best Friend” is about love, generosity, acceptance, similarities, sharing in pain and joy.  I think it is designed by the Creator of all and a precious gift from Him, whether human or canine. 

How about you and your “best friend”? What do you share.  What did the Lord do?

I love you, Bridge and I am grateful.

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