I Wish You Friendship

There is a popular Christmas song entitled My Grown Up Christmas List that has, over the past five or so years, become one of my absolute favorites.  When the Christmas season arrives, I locate it on my phone and listen over and over.  It sometimes moves me to tears.  Here are some of the words:

(the songwriter's wish is that...)
...everyone would have a friend
...and right would always win
...and love would never end...

Many artists have recorded this song, but my favorite and the one I have on my ipod is by Kelly Clarkson.  I believe her rendition of this song really highlights her beautiful voice.  It's hard to hear the nuances of her amazing vocals sometimes in the loud songs for which she is mostly known.  But Kelly Clarkson is not the topic of this post.  It's the beautiful words to this amazing song.  The words to this song (and the music as well) are very moving from the standpoint of someone wishing something for others, rather than wishing something for themselves.  This is a continuing message of Christmas that we need to focus on because we sometimes lose sight of it in the festivities of material gift-giving and gift-getting. 

The words that really stand out to me is the wish that everyone would have a friend.  Friendship is perhaps the greatest gift we can receive on this earth.  Not everyone finds Mr. Right to marry or is blessed with children or the perfect job or the beautiful house on the hillside.  But everyone can have a friend.  You might say Well, I know someone who doesn't have a friend.  And, sadly, that is true.  There are people who seem to have a hard time making friends.  But I have also learned that the ol' saying "To make a friend, you have to be one" is a truth as well.  Friendships start by taking that first step to get to know someone.  When I started what has become a lifelong friendship with my best friend, I remember thinking to myself She is someone I would like to get to know.  We have a lot in common. She has all the qualities I want in a friend.  She is a great person.  I actually chose her to be my best friend, and hopefully she did me as well.  As I got to know her, we began to build upon those first noticed qualities in each other and over the years she has become the one person I turn to in times of joy, sadness, and the inconsequential times in between that mostly make up life.  A friend is one who knows your worst side and loves you anyway; one who tells you the truth when you'd rather hear a lie; one who doesn't kick you to the curb in the chaotic messiness of life.  I'll never forget the time when I was taken to the hospital by ambulance with severe clinical depression.  It was she who rode with me as I threw up in the back of that EMS unit, she holding the bucket.  I was at my worst, and she was there.

I wish for you this Christmas a friend -- that all of you will have a friend.  A friend that is true and is loyal. A friend who will stick by you through thick and thin.  I'm  sure you are familiar with this popular Christmas song but, if not, look it up and take a listen.  I hope it moves your heart to remember all the great friends in your life or maybe especially the one who has been sticking by you for many years.  If you don't have a friend, then let it be your Christmas goal to make a friend.  For the sake of never being alone.  For the sake of having someone always to see you through the hard times and the good times. Be a friend first and see what follows.  You can be sure of this:  Just as the lyrics to this song so eloquently convey, if you have a good friend, she will hold you accountable to making sure "right" will always win, but most of all that love will never, ever end.     

Me and my BFF; two kindred hearts (notice the matching sunglasses -- totally not planned)