Friends!

At the beginning of the year I shared with you that my word for the year is “rejuvenation.” I explained that instead of a goal, I pick out a word and then everything I do I apply the word while doing it. For example, if I’m working in the garden, I think rejuvenation and do all I can to rejuvenate the garden and myself through the work. I love this because it doesn’t add work or stress to my life, it just enhances all of life.

But one of the things Mr. J. and I wanted to consciously rejuvenate were old friendships. Partly because we moved eleven years ago, we haven’t seen some of the people who have played an important part in our lives. So in January we made a list of the people we wanted to see again and the most amazing thing has happened. They just keep showing up in our lives without us doing anything.

Mr. J’s father died when he was only twelve years old and there were a few men who stepped in to mentor and help him. One of those men was especially instrumental in guiding and nurturing and after we married we became good friends with he and his wife. They moved from Bountiful before we did and we haven’t seen them for about twenty years. Well, four weeks ago they called and told us they were in the neighborhood and wanted to stop by. We had a wonderful visit and arranged to go out to dinner with them later. That later was last night, and again we had a marvelous evening eating dinner and then driving up to the cabin they are building in Midway. Renewing old friendships, seeing the beautiful view from their cabin, catching up on all that has happened in the intervening years, and just being with people who have played such an important part in our lives was amazing.

This isn’t the only time this has happened since we choose to rejuvenate. It has been like a miracle. The people on our list keep turning up and we are enjoying every minute of it. There are still many people on the list and I’m looking forward to rejuvenating more friendships. It is always nice to make new friends, but there is something deeply satisfying about being with people you have known for many years.

As Proverbs tells us, “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel” (Prov 27:9). And I would add that simply "being with old friends rejoices the heart."