Last Days

I just returned from dinner with my four running girlfriends. Thankfully, I'll see each of them one more time so we didn't really have to say good-bye. Nonetheless, our time together tonight was comfortable and easy but with an undercurrent of change. We all knew that tonight was the last time for all of us to be together for a year, so we committed to finding ways to stay connected. I've come to realize that life is not made of big things. It's made of thousands of little things. Our connection comes from sharing the little events that happen during the course of living a day. On one hand, I fear the loss of that connection because I won't be here to share so many of those small daily events. On the other hand, I realize that our connection endures and can be rekindled with ease even if I miss some things . That 's the hallmark of friendship. I also know that it takes effort to develop and maintain friends - and that's what I intend to do.



I gave them each a copy of The Little Prince - a wonderful little "children's" book about friendship. In it the little prince learns the value of creating ties and friendship by tending to something - in his case, a rose. It's the same with friends, the more you give of yourself for your friend, the more ties are created. To paraphrase the fox - what you can see with your eyes is of little consequence; what counts are the things invisible to the eye that can only be seen with the heart. That's the way of friends. The other thing about my girlfriends, is that they will share - gleefully - this experience with me. I know they'll support me and listen with their hearts to what I say - and what I don't say. I'm blessed to have these amazing women in my life.