Growing up, our house had a phone that hung on the kitchen wall.
My mom liked to chat on the phone with her friends during the day while she was busy with various chores, so my dad attached an extra long phone cord. My mom could walk around the kitchen, into the dining room, and even stretch a bit into the living room and still talk on the phone.
A phone with a cord?! It wasn’t THAT long ago!
My brother and I knew the exact reach of that phone cord, and understood what we could get away while she was talking. Near end of the living room — mom zone. Far end of the living room — we could plant a bomb over there.
We knew the circle to enter for whispered requests for a Popsicle (which garnered a sigh, but almost always was granted).
We knew if we argued and tussled, we would eventually hear a shouted, “Would you two kids cut it out?! I’m on the PHONE!” But nothing would be done to us.
These are happy memories of mine.
My mom was teaching us the value of friendship.
Why You Need Friends
I’m about to move from Colorado where I have lived for the last 16 years, moving to New York. I’m grieving the loss of being close to my friends here. We will keep in touch, but we know it won’t be the same as seeing each other on a regular basis.
Still, this move has given me a new appreciation for my friendships, and for this I am thankful.
Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.Proverbs 27:17
You need friends. You support your friends, and they support you.
7 Reasons Why I Am Thankful You Are My Friend
It’s easy to let life pass from days into weeks into years without saying thank you to those we love, so I want to be sure I take this time to say thank you to my treasured friends.
I’m keeping this list general so that you, my readers, can use it, too. Will you please forward this list to a friend, or share it on your social media and tag them?
Don’t let another day go by without thanking your best friend, a far away friend, a college roommate you’ve kept in touch with, or someone who has been an extra special friend to you over the years. Tell your friend why you are thankful for her today.
1. You love me for who I am.
I am thankful for our friendship because you love me for who I am. You support my positives and encourage me to pursue my dreams. I know you also see my negatives, but you are willing to accept me and love me anyway.
2. You tell me the truth.
Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.Proverbs 27:5-6
While it might be painful to hear at first, you love me enough to tell me the truth when I need to hear it. Many acquaintances will tell me what I want to hear, but you are honest with me in a loving way, whether it’s about my outfit, my attitude, or choices I make in my life.
3. You stick by me when others don’t.
During tough times, you go the extra mile for me. When others seem to drop away, you are the one who has stood by my side and kept going with me, in practical small ways (hello, chocolate!) and in emotional ways, too, like calling to check up on me when you know I’m going through a hard time.
I know I could call you in the middle of the night and you would come, or ask you to *gulp* clean my bathroom in an emergency and you would do it without judgement.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
4. You listen.
I process out loud, and you have probably heard me say the same things over and over until you have my phrases memorized. Yet you continue to listen because you know I need to say it, and then say it again.
When I need to vent my frustrations, you understand and don’t chastise me and say I shouldn’t be angry or think that way. You get that it’s just venting and I really do love my kids, love my husband, and love being an American.
5. You laugh with me.
We have fun together! Oh man we have had some good times together. Sometimes it’s just over the silly stuff, but we have had some great times. We understand stuff that other people just don’t “get” and they never will.
You just had to be there!
6. You partner with me.
You and I have “our thing” in common. We meet together to work together, exercise together, watch our kids together, volunteer together, or just visit together.
It helps so much to know I’m not alone and have someone else to share with who gets what I’m going through in life.
7. You point me to back to God.
Walk with the wise and become wise…
Proverbs 13:20
Most of all, you encourage me to trust in Jesus. You share your Bible knowledge with me and your own faith struggles and joys. When you talk about your devotions or what you are studying in the Bible, it makes me want to dig into my own study more deeply. It is my privilege to be a part of your Christian walk, and it mentors me in mine.
You are a treasured blessing to me.
Who is a friend you are thankful for today? Forward this message to them!
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Thanks for this. With our recent move, I am feeling the distance between my friends as well. Some of my good friends were neighbors, so we saw each other nearly everyday while our kids played. Hugs from one new friend to another.
Thanks so much, Becky. When did you move?