Thoughts Along the Path . . .

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Have you ever seen friends after several years of absence – and yet it feels like you just pick up where you left off? Being with them is easy, natural, and uplifting with time itself ceasing to matter. I hope you have had that experience, and I’m happy to say I have, too.

This week two friends (I’ll call them Bill and Sara) visited John and me for two days. They currently live close to San Francisco, though that is not where either of them are originally from. They were previously here shortly after we moved to Ayr in 2001; we have stayed with them a few times in California; and in 2016 we traveled together in Chile.

My history with them began in 1986 two days after I arrived in Haifa, Israel as a volunteer for the World Headquarters of the Baha’i Faith. I originally thought I would be there for one year, but it turned out to be eight years. Another story for another day perhaps, but I’ll just mention that’s where I met John, and we just had our 37^th anniversary. Bill and Sara were present when we became engaged, were among the guests at our wedding, and even hosted a party for our fifth anniversary.

Over the years in Israel we shared countless outings and experiences. Together we hiked, biked, swam, scuba dived, backpacked, camped, and drove throughout that beautiful and culturally diverse country. We shared the shock and grief of another friend dying while we were all on a diving trip in Egypt, and we were together during the Persian Gulf War. There is more to our story, but I think this gives the general idea.

It's hard for me to think of them and our friendship without mentioning travel because that’s part of what we have in common. We share curiosity about our fascinating world and its people. And yet, as I think about what we have in common, I keep coming back to the fact that we met while volunteering for long term service to our Faith, with desire to serve being one of our core values.

Readers of this column know that I have a fondness for quotations that say a lot in a few words. One of my favourites concerning friendship is also about travel, if not literally then metaphorically. From Robert Lewis Stevenson: “We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.”

What about you? When you think about your own friends, what do you find you have in common? Do you volunteer together, play together, feel at ease with each other? Do you like the same sports teams, read the same books, enjoy films, wander museums or galleries? Do you do crafts, cook together, or swap gardening tips? What about hiking, camping, day-tripping? Truly the possibilities are endless. In each case you feel “at home” with them, and you find joy and comfort in their company. As William Shakespeare wrote: “I am wealthy in my friends.” Being with them adds to your well-being rather than taking away from it.

Back in my days as a girl scout we learned a song with these words “Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.” I always liked that idea, as a reminder that as we journey through life our relationships can remain precious and fresh even if there is prolonged absence.

As I watched Bill and Sara drive away, I thought about these words from author Richard Bach: “Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.”

Rather than a sad goodbye, we had cheerful hugs and promises of keeping in touch. Of course with email and social media this all sounds easy - yet time passes quickly, we all have things to do and places to be and other friends to be with. So I will comfort myself with these words from Abdul-Baha, the son of the founder of the Baha’i Faith: “Where there is love, nothing is too much trouble, and there is always time.”

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