You've got a friend in me....

I'm pretty sure we all have friends.

I'm pretty sure we all have friendships that we have neglected.  Now I don't mean gross negligence like being rude, saying mean things or other less than pleasant actions; I'm talking about just getting so busy with life that we fail to call or contact them for a few weeks and before you know it years have gone by.  Kids have graduated from schools, hair has changed color and maybe you've even gained a few pounds.  You didn't mean to let all that time slide by but somehow life got in the way.

I know first hand how easy it is to let those friendships slide.  It seems my time belongs to everyone else in my life besides me!  Sure I go to volleyball things, run kids to the dance studio, attend 4H meetings and even ladies groups at church; at all those places I have friends.  I know their names and with many of them know their "stories."  Some of them I'd call up to have coffee or lunch but most are just the "smile and wave" kind of friends.  A few months ago I came to the realization that many of my friends who no longer fit into one of the above categories I hadn't seen in ages...some for years.  Sure we do the "like" thing on Facebook and occasionally have a cyber-conversation but we haven't seen one another s actual faces in quite sometime.  I knew that I had to change things so I made a conscious decision to reach out.  No, not just reach out but reach out and follow through.  It's easy to send a text, a Facebook message or post on their wall about missing them but that doesn't really get you anywhere.

There is something refreshing about reconnecting, sitting across the table face-to-face with genuine interest and concern about another human being-one you have known for years.  It's funny how easy the conversations twist and turn then before you know it hours have gone by.  So today, I'm adding a new simple prayer to my list and it is "make me a better friend."  My goal is to at least once a month connect with a friend who is outside my weekly routine-a cup of coffee, the Indian place for lunch or perhaps a simple walk on the Crystal Bridges trails.  So if I don't hit you up for some friend time soon, please give me a shout because I'm missing you, too!