Investing

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things." ~Author Unknown

This past weekend I went to an amazing wedding of an old friend here in town. It was a perfect day....and one so deserved for the bride and groom, Mr. and Mrs. Supreme Court. One of the most amazing parts of this wedding was listening to other people talk about the bride and groom.
The room was full of their friends----I've never been to a wedding with more young people in attendance. I would say that 2/3 of the guests were between 25 and 35. It was amazing to see the friendships that Mr. and Mrs. Supreme Court have been able to build....and sustain! These people flew across the country (and some from across the world) to be there for this day. I wondered what they had done to get so many great friends who were so committed to their friendships that they would make an effort to be at this wedding.
The other guests at the wedding all talked about how both Mr. and Mrs. Supreme Court had really invested in their friendships. To do this, Mr. and Mrs. Supreme Court made it a point to stay in touch, to send quick notes and cards, to pick up the phone and call, to always be there with encouraging words. Mr. and Mrs. Supreme Court know how to be great friends.

I love this idea of investing in friendships. I feel like I've been fortunate and blessed beyond belief with the friendships I have in my life. I have some friends from each chapter in my life who are each important to me. I have known some friends since I was a little kid and have made new friends in the last year, and have friends from each chapter in between!
But it's hard sometimes to keep these friendships going. Everyone is busy with work or families or traveling or just life in general. People's lives take different paths and it's really easy to lose touch with your friends from different chapters. All of a sudden, you may not have as much in common with them as you used to. You may not see them as much (or at all) anymore.

But I really believe that when friendships are important to you, and you love the people in your life, you have to make an effort---you have to invest---in these friendships. You have to invest your time and effort and attention and yourself in order to keep these relationships going.
I know for me, my friendships are one of my biggest sources of joy in my life. These people love me unconditionally. If there is one thing that I know I will continue investing in, this is it. The return is absoutey priceless.