Mindful Monday – To Have a Friend Takes Time

When I was in high school, I had a girlfriend who joined me in marathon talking sessions. We could go on and on for hours. I’m a lot older now and a lot busier, as is every one I know. The truth is though, I still need to take the time to talk with my women friends once in a while.

My husband gave me a gift certificate to a spa for my birthday almost a year ago. I should have redeemed it earlier, but I just couldn’t get excited about it. (Weird, I know.) Finally, I was talking with a girlfriend I meet for coffee on a regular basis. The spa came up and we got all excited about making a girls’ day out of it. We would go together and then have lunch. We picked a day and cleared our calendars. That day is today and after I post this, I’m turning off my computer for the rest of the day. Heaven!

Last week I met with several friends and I am still basking in the glow of shared connections. On Wednesday, I traveled to New York City with Lockey and Sarah to attend a Working Women’s Luncheon. There was a lot of networking and sharing, but the best part was spending time with friends who share their enthusiasm to change the world with their work.

On Friday, I met with my friend Luci Weston, who writes a great life and style blog for women. We hadn’t seen each other since last summer. She is one of only two bloggers I’ve met in person (the other is world traveler Terri Wingham of A Fresh Chapter.) We have so much to talk about and I always leave our conversations energized and rededicated to building WhereWeGoNow.

Luci recently issued a Friend A Day Challenge on her blog, Here We Are … with Luci. In it she reminds us how important it is to make time for our friends. I’m glad she and I made time for each other last week. It was time richly spent and we vowed to stay in touch on a regular basis.

When it comes to friends, my truth is very simple. My friends strengthen, energize and inspire me to be my better self. It definitely takes time to have a friend and it takes time to be a friend. If you’re feeling too busy to be a friend, remember that friendship, like exercise, a healthy diet and rest, rejuvenates and revitalizes us. We can’t be our best without friendship any more than we can be our best without sleep. Take the time to be a friend, and the many benefits of friendship will elevate your life and your work.

To all of my WWGN friends, here and on Facebook and Twitter, thank you for joining me on this journey. I wish you all a spa day, lunch, long phone call, or coffee/tea with a good friend. It really is true that “A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Survival > Existence,

Debbie