My friend Dale has written today:
Every so often, I rediscover long lost friends. It is not that those friends drifted away from me, but it is always the case that I drifted away from them. I thought I would make a list of them to see if they are long lost friends of yours too.
Here they are: libraries, a good novel, sunrises, sunsets, stars, music, art, humor, quality movies, good conversations, university campuses, a bicycle, comfortable tennis shoes, loose blue jeans, a pet, tall trees, desert scenes, and the sounds of the ocean. These friends are always there for us. How is it we trade them for tense politics, social conflicts, media spin, rude pundits, and demanding institutions? Why do we trade down? Are we so easily distracted from quality?
Being "led beside still waters" can be both an image and a reality for those taking the time to go find those still waters. Stillness is one of those long lost friends too - not the sort of friend that makes hurried house calls. Nature is so terribly sane. The arts can be so inspiring. Great ideas are comforting as well as challenging. Why do we let the magnificent symphony of life become shallow noise?
Going home to your friends may be a longer journey than you might realize at first. Sometimes you have to get there through your own labyrinth of self-created pain and confusion. In leaving the dark forests of your own shadow, there is great release. The simple things in life matter most. It is the contrast of lost and found that brings the deepest joys. Good friends wait patiently and welcome you with open arms. They never left. Why did you?
Dale Andrews
Every so often, I rediscover long lost friends. It is not that those friends drifted away from me, but it is always the case that I drifted away from them. I thought I would make a list of them to see if they are long lost friends of yours too.
Here they are: libraries, a good novel, sunrises, sunsets, stars, music, art, humor, quality movies, good conversations, university campuses, a bicycle, comfortable tennis shoes, loose blue jeans, a pet, tall trees, desert scenes, and the sounds of the ocean. These friends are always there for us. How is it we trade them for tense politics, social conflicts, media spin, rude pundits, and demanding institutions? Why do we trade down? Are we so easily distracted from quality?
Being "led beside still waters" can be both an image and a reality for those taking the time to go find those still waters. Stillness is one of those long lost friends too - not the sort of friend that makes hurried house calls. Nature is so terribly sane. The arts can be so inspiring. Great ideas are comforting as well as challenging. Why do we let the magnificent symphony of life become shallow noise?
Going home to your friends may be a longer journey than you might realize at first. Sometimes you have to get there through your own labyrinth of self-created pain and confusion. In leaving the dark forests of your own shadow, there is great release. The simple things in life matter most. It is the contrast of lost and found that brings the deepest joys. Good friends wait patiently and welcome you with open arms. They never left. Why did you?
Dale Andrews
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