Thursday, September 18, 2008

The things that friends do...

I have some pretty good friends - people I've collected along the way, who've come to be like an extended family to me. They have taken care of me when my heart was broken... or a pinkie... they have come to dinner at my home... and invited me to MAKE dinner at THEIRS (you know who you are!)

They have, in fact, supported me in ways that are tremendously important, and it's only when I mention them to other people that I realise how unusual they really are. They have come to Catholic Masses (well, when I was Catholic, of course), although they are not Catholic, because I was preaching... They have been interested enough in my conversion to Judaism to ask me all kinds of interesting questions about it, without ever suggesting that it's just a passing fad... They have, in fact, learned about hechshers - which, in case you don't know, are wee little marks on food packaging that tell me whether or not the food is kosher - because they know I keep kosher. They have taken care to wish me L'shanah Tovah, and Happy Hanukkah, and don't send me Christmas cards anymore. (I didn't know how much that acknowledgement of my path was going to mean to me!) They have come to shul with me, even though sometimes the service is very long, and much of it is in a language that is foreign to them.

They have helped me move... again, and again, and again! They have helped me organise closets, and pick up furniture... They have gone to countless movies with me...

They have loved my daughter without reservation, just as they love me.

They have laughed with me and cried with me. They've been angry at things that have angered me. They are my defenders and sometimes my critics (and that's mostly ok!).

They are not all here, my friends... some of them are too far away to see often, and I miss that. But I count them all as blessings, and every one is precious.

L'chaim to my beautiful friends... you rock my world.

5 comments:

Katherine said...

I hope that you include sisters among your friends, because I include you among mine.

Chaviva said...

That's why you have the link!!

Anonymous said...

Oh my god! I feel like a star! You mentioned me in your very first paragraph. How nice..... I think.

(I LOVE your blog. Great job.)

Anonymous said...

By the way, YOU are a blessing and YOU are precious, my beloved friend.

Chaviva said...

Awww, thank you, dahling! I knew you would recognise yourself...