Friends

Make new friends but keep the old, for one is silver the other gold.

A friend wrote that in my graduation book  in 1965. Yesterday I was privileged to spend a few hours with this friend, her husband, 88 year old father, her daughter and two of her very young grandchildren. It's a contrast that didn't go amiss as the elderly gentleman shared a part of his life story while a seven month old young lady made her presence known. 

     The great contrast of life looking back over almost ninety years and forward through a life that we could imagine will be the young girls. Time became irrelevant as we moved through the fields of England in the thirties, forties and fifties. The hard times which were filled with humour and a profound respect and appreciation for all that has been this amazing life.

     Consider the lives that influenced his in those decades, Some of which probably dated back almost as long as the age he is now. In the course of this great sharing I became aware that right there and then I was in the middle of being connected with friends whose lives would cover almost a quarter of a millennium. That's two hundred and fifty years! And all I had to do was to share a meal and take some time to listen.

    Think about that the next next time someone of an older generation starts sharing their story, and remember it is  a privilege to be a part of hearing their story. 

     Your turn will come one day and how well you tell your story will be, in part, determined by the stories you've listened to.