Grateful for Friends
Among the many things I realized while away in Argentina is that I need friends. Not only am I lonely without them, but being with them makes me better. A challenge has been that just about all my friends live far away. Almost all of them are unknown to each other and my family. This is because the three principal periods for making friends have been in Tulsa, Washington, and South America. Staying in touch can be easy to neglect and relationships can quickly fade away. This last week especially, I’ve been writing emails, sending Facebook messages, and making calls in an effort to catch up with people. I apologized to some for being rude and not maintaining our connection. Making quality friends is easy for some people. But for most of us it’s difficult, and true friends are hard to find. I don’t want to take those friends for granted. I am making a concerted effort to contact people on a regular basis, send birthday cards, and do whatever I can to maintain those meaningful relationships. Making more friends is one of the things I most look forward to during my time in Montana. And that probably means even more distance friends. But that’s okay because hopefully I’m getting better at being a friend with whom it’s worth staying in touch.
