Friday, July 29, 2022

Five Minute Friday: BE

Today I'm linking up with the Five Minute Friday community, writing for five minutes on a given prompt. This week's word is BE.

***

Jonathan's been attending Extend-a-Family day camp for the past few weeks, as he has every summer (except 2020) since he was about six. Every Tuesday this summer they walk to the park and spend the day at the splash pad.

This past Tuesday at the park they were very surprised and delighted to meet up with Jonathan's friend Nick, whom he's known ever since they were little campers together at EAF. Nick now lives in a different town, and they haven't seen one another in over three years.

I wasn't there, but their encounter was captured in a few photos that Nick's grandmother sent me. This one is my favourite.

Jonathan (striped shirt), Nick (black shirt),
and camp counselor Lewis (green hoodie).

The joy of their reunion is unmistakable. They laughed, they played with each other's caps, and they laughed some more. Nick is nonverbal, but he and Jonathan did not need to use words to communicate how happy they were to see each other again. All they had to do was BE.

Jonathan and Nick in 2015

It's rare to find friendships that are just based on the joy of BEING. Often we think friendship must involve shared activities, beliefs, or life stages ... or that it requires seeing the friend a certain number of times a year ... or that we have to reciprocate invitations and pay back favours so everything is even. Some influencers even tell us -- especially in light of Covid, which has caused us to rethink a lot of our priorities -- that we should curate our friend lists to eliminate anyone who doesn't add value, who doesn't help make us The Best Version of Ourselves.

Jonathan and Nick help remind me that none of that is essential to a good friendship. Just being together and delighting in one another is all that's required. 

 



 

 

8 comments:

  1. I love this thought of just being.. It's so refreshing to be with those folks who allow you to do just that.

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    1. Yes, it's very special! Thanks for reading.

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  2. All we had to do was be,
    and not rush or do, instead.
    Thus, my Service Dog and me,
    but that's the past, for she is dead.
    In the joy is born the grief
    that can overwhelm the heart
    unless one acts on firm belief
    that there's a God, and plays the part
    of the faithful, trusting man
    who can accept the loss with hope
    that it is His holy plan,
    and in this role-play learn to cope
    and refresh sad withered soul
    in making real what was a role.

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  3. Thank you Jeannie, this is so precious and a great reminder to all of us "adults" on the true meaning of relationship. Blessings Lisa xo

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    1. Thanks so much, Lisa. Also let's do another walk-and-coffee soon!

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  4. Aww, this is beautiful.
    Thanks for sharing.

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