December 29, 2014

Friendships

Schricker,-Mary-Dec2010By Mary Schricker Gemberling

When we think of friends, and call their faces out of the shadows, and their voices out of the echoes that faint along the corridors of memory, and do it without knowing why save that we love to do it, we content ourselves that that friendship is a Reality, and not a Fancy–that it is built upon a rock, and not upon the sands that dissolve away with the ebbing tides and carry their monuments with them……..
Mark Twain

Friends are one of the most treasured gifts that you can find in this world. And I have been fortunate to find some of the rarest jewels among them. After attending several Holiday gatherings over the weekend, I awoke this morning feeling blessed by the friendships of so many wonderful people.
The first event I attended was a party with my “Bunco” gals. For those of you who do not know…..bunco is a mindless dice game that requires little concentration, thus allowing the players to eat, drink and talk as much as they like. It
really is a perfect game for a group of ladies with lots to say! Our group has 13 members who take turns hosting. Aside from movie night and a couple of swimming parties we meet monthly to play bunco. We have also, over the years, taken trips together to Chicago, St. Louis, Lake of the Ozarks, as well as Florida, Cape Cod and South Carolina. But more importantly we laugh, drink a bit of wine, and share stories and pictures about special events, our travels and of course, grandchildren. I cannot tell you how much fun I have had with these ladies over the years and how much their friendships have enriched my life!

Many of my good friends started out being neighbors. Such is the case with the friends we visited with the following day. We met in the early 1970s, when we both lived in the same Davenport neighborhood. In the ensuing years as our children became friends, we did more and more together as families. We had pool parties in their back yard, went camping, and sometimes even spent holidays together. As our children grew up, and we all moved from the neighborhood, we still remained friends. Of course, now those children have grown, and some are married with kids of their own. As we gathered on Friday evening, it was clear that the bonds of friendship are still strong and now encircle the new family members. When we left and all hugged each other, we vowed to get together more often, but even if we don’t, we know that the next time we do it will seem just like yesterday.

On Saturday, we had two separate groups of friends to see.  First we were joined at The Grape Life by a couple who had lived across the street from me in Crystal Creek. While neighbors, we often socialized and got to know each other’s families and friends. After I married and moved away, the friendship continued to grow, and we now frequently get together. We toasted on this evening to the many more good times to come.  Next we crossed the I-74 Bridge and headed to Moline. The people at this party were both old and new friends. This is a group of people who began meeting a few years ago in a larger group for ‘happy hour.’  As time went on, this group just crystalized, and as they say, “the rest is history!!!” The evening was full of good food, great conversation, and again lots of laughter. What fun!!!!

According to Mayo Clinic research, friendships can have a major impact on your health, When in the company of a close friend, we tend to open ourselves up and communicate even our darkest secrets, fears and anything which we feel like sharing. We place utmost faith and trust in our close friends and hold them close to our hearts. True friends do not expect any kind of gratification in return for your friendship. They like you the way you are and even expect the same from you.
Developing and maintaining good friends takes effort.  As I was thinking this morning about all of the wonderful people in my life, it occurred that since I had very few immediate family members, I have always valued my friends and have often thought that, “strangers were just friends waiting to happen!”

“A good friend is a connection to life…a tie to the past…..a road to the future…the key to sanity in this crazy world. “
Anonymous

Mary, a former educator and Seniors Real Estate Specialist, is the author of two books, The West End Kid and A Labor of Love; My Personal Journey Through the World of Caregiving    (available at www.amazon.com )

Filed Under: Community, Health & Wellness

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