Day 23 Common
My husband has told me more than once that he’s intrigued by
the friends I choose. “Most of your friends are so different from you,” he
tells me. And so I ponder that and wonder if that’s true.
Many of my friends
have strong personalities. Maybe that’s what he means. One of my friends, a
single mom, is a well respected family
therapist. I met D when we were both attending
a small Christian liberal arts college
in Langley, BC in 1978! (yikes, that sounds like a long time ago!). She was
from Liberia, and had heard about this college through some missionaries. I was
living a half hour away from the college, never having travelled out of the
country at that point. We became roommates
part way through the year.
She was an extrovert, made friends easily, and was very
popular, always looking for the next party or event. She was tall, thin, black,
and beautiful. I remember thinking she was the most beautiful person I had ever
met.
I was a shy introvert, didn’t need
a lot of friends, just an average looking girl, and was content to go home on the
weekends, so I wouldn’t have to socialize too much! On the
surface we had little in common! Yet, we gravitated towards each other and have
maintained our friendship for over 40 years, even though we have only lived in
the same city for a few years when our children were very young.
She and her
daughter are a part of our very large extended family, attending camping trips,
family reunions, family weddings and funerals. She is really more than a friend-- she
is like a sister.
I guess what we have
in common is an appreciation and love for each other just as we are. We have
learned that trying to change the other just doesn’t work!
