A Card from Karen

Please enlarge to read.

Birthday token from Judy

"GROWTH"

The river flows,
ever changing,
picking up speed here
and slowing down there,

narrowing,
widening,
dropping silt
and lifting up dirt,

joining,
separating,
warming
and cooling,

finally emptying into the sea,
just a hint of what it once was.

It is not the same river
as at the source.
It is not the same river
as where the turtles nest.
It is not the same river
as it is at the rapids.

We are each a river.

We flow.
We change.
We learn,
we forget.

We jump for joy.
We mourn a loss.

I don't know about you,
but my childhood feels
like someone else's life.

It's hard to believe
that was me,
that it is the same person.

Of course, it's not the same person.
It was a different person,
because now I'm different.

Different from me as a child.
Different from me as an adolescent.
Different from me as a young man.
Different from me even
as a new parent a few years ago...

in fact, my young daughters are different
than they were just a few years ago,
and it is hard for me to believe
they are the same girls.

Keep changing.
Keep learning.
Keep growing."

~David Leonhardt~
Source: The Happy Guy Newsletter
www.thehappyguy.com

Wherever There is Love

"Three Old Men" Italy Circa 1535
By Paramigianino (Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola)

A woman came out of her house and saw three old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat." "Is the man of the house home?", they asked. "No", she replied. "He's out." "Then we cannot come in", they replied. In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. "Go tell them I am home and invite them in!" The woman went out and invited the men in. "We do not go into a house together," they replied. "Why is that?" she asked. One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home." The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!" His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?" Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!" "Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our guest." The woman went out and asked the three old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other two also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?" The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but you invited Love, and wherever he goes, we go also. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!" ~Author Unknown

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

(From my old file)

I don't know about tomorrow;
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from its sunshine
For its skies may turn to grey.

I don't worry o'er the future,
For I know what Jesus said.
And today I'll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.

Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.

Every step is getting brighter
As the golden stairs I climb;
Every burden's getting lighter,
Every cloud is silver-lined.

There the sun is always shining,
There no tear will dim the eye;
At the ending of the rainbow
Where the mountains touch the sky.

Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.

I don't know about tomorrow;
It may bring me poverty.
But the one who feeds the sparrow,
Is the one who stands by me.

And the path that is my portion
May be through the flame or flood;
But His presence goes before me
And I'm covered with His blood.

Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.

~Anon~

How to be Wealthy

Friendships are priceless, time is invaluable,
health is wealth, and love is a treasure, so ...

Create a nest egg of beautiful memories that you can
dip into from time to time to ease any sorrows.

Have the kind of remembrances that raise you up with
their worth and keep you there with their wonder.

Always have a secret supply of hopes on hand
to help you plan your tomorrows.

Remember that when you invest in your dreams,
it is impossible to overpay.

Give away smiles and watch them
come back to you a hundred times over.

Stuff your pockets with kindness and optimism;
there is nothing more precious in the world.

I'm sharing this advice with you today because
YOU are such a valued part of my life.

~ Author Unknown ~

"LET GO AND LOVE MORE"

To "let go" does not mean to stop caring—
It means I can't do it FOR someone else.

To "let go" is not to cut myself off—
It's the realization that I can't CONTROL another.

To "let go" is not to ENABLE—
But to allow learning from natural consequences.

To "let go" is not to try to change or blame another—
It's to make the most of MYSELF.

To "let go" is not to care FOR—
But to care about.

To "let go" is not to FIX—
But to be supportive.

To "let go" is not to JUDGE—
But to allow another to be a human being.

To "let go" is not being in the middle, arranging all outcomes—
But to allow others to affect their own destinies.

To "let go" is not to be over-protective—
It's to permit another to face reality.

To "let go" is not to DENY—
But to accept.

To "let go" is not to nag, scold or argue—
But instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To "let go" is not to adjust everything to MY desires—
But to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.

To "let go" is not to regret the past—
But to grow and live for the future.

TO LET GO IS —
TO FEAR LESS ... AND TO LOVE MORE.

~ By Dr. Margaret J. Rinck
www.FamilySuccessConsortium.com

Mother and Son

The Law of Life

Whatever you give away today or think or say or do
Will multiply about tenfold and then return to you;
It may not come immediately, nor from the obvious source,
But the law applies unfailingly, through some invisible source.

Whatever you feel about another, be it love or hate or passion,
Will surely bounce right back to you in some clear (or secret) fashion;
If you speak about some person a word of praise or two,
Soon tens of other people will speak kind words of you.

Our thoughts are broadcasts of the soul, not secrets of the brain;
Kind ones bring us happiness petty ones, untold pain;
Giving works as surely as reflections in a mirror —
If hate you send, hate you'll get back, but loving brings love nearer.

Remember as you start this day, and duty crowds your mind,
That kindness comes so quickly back to those who first are kind;
Let that thought and this one direct us through each day —
The only things we ever keep are the things we give away.

Author Unknown

Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves,
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

~By Marianne Williamson from A Return To Love

Important Note:

The words above are often Found on the Internet INCORRECTLY stated as a quote
from Nelson Mandela's Inauguration Speech. Mandela's actual speech is shown at
the official African government site here: Nelson Mandela's 1994 Inauguration Speech

When I am an Old Man

(Photo courtesy by Lily)

When I am an old man...
I'll wear mixed plaids.
I'll put my teeth in only when I need them.
I'll proudly and loudly produce massive amounts of phlegm at will.
I'll drive as slow as I want — I was here first, wasn't I?
I'll buy my grandchildren gifts my kids don't want them to have.
I'll let waiters and waitresses really know how "everything" is tonight.
I'll wear Vicks Vap-o-Rub, BenGay, and that Icy Blue stuff instead of cologne.
 I'll let my gut stick out.
Way, way out who gives a rip anymore?
I'll darn sure let people know what I think about "the trash they're showing on the TV these days." 
I'll let my grandchildren get away with things I used to punish my children for doing.
I'll blow my nose as hard and as loud as I want!
I'll make darn sure I get my "Senior" discount!
I'll refuse to stand in long grocery store lines to pay for a quart of milk and a box of bran.
If they catch me, I'll just act senile.
I'll keep my turn signal on as long as I want, dab-nabit!
I'll pass gas whenever and wherever I dang well please.
I'll darn sure let people know what I think about  "the garbage the government makes us go through just to get what we have coming."
I'll develop an addiction to Milk of Magnesia.
I'll write long letters to the editor about whatever I don't like.
I'll chug Metamucil like I used to chug beer.
I'll obsessively make elaborate contraptions to keep the dang squirrels off my bird feeders.
I'll have more hair growing out of my nose and ears than on the top of my skull.
I'll flirt with women who wouldn't have gone out with me even when I was their age.
I'll brush my eyebrow hair up over my bald spot.
I'll go to them all-you-can-eat buffet lunch places and bring a doggy bag with me.
I'll wear my pants hiked up around my armpits
or I'll let them ride comfortably down under my belly.
I'll blow my social security money by buyin' junk from the back of books.

~By Tim Nyberg
(Suggested by Margaret who lives in San Francisco, California)

Yesterday, Tomorrow and Today

The journey's our goal, our path is the point ...

There are two days in every week we should never worry about,
two days that should be kept free from fear and apprehension

One is yesterday, with its mistakes and cares, its aches and pains, its faults and blunders.

Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.

All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday.

We cannot undo a single act we performed, nor erase a single word we've said.

Yesterday is gone.

The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow, with its impossible adversaries, its burden, its hopeful promise and unknown performance.

Tomorrow is beyond our control.

Tomorrow's sun will rise either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds ... but it will rise ... and until it does.

We have no stake in tomorrow, for it is as yet unborn.

This leaves only one day: TODAY!

Anyone can fight the battles of just one day.

It is only when we add the burdens of yesterday and tomorrow that we break down.

It is not the experience of today that drives people mad.

It is the remorse of bitterness for something that happened yesterday, and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.

Make TODAY the best day it can be, and live one day at a time!

~Author Unknown~

Wishing for Another Chance

Do you wish the world were better?
Let me tell you what to do.
Set a watch upon your actions,
Keep them always straight and true.
Rid your mind of selfish motives,
Let your thoughts be clean and high.
You can make a little Eden
Of the sphere you occupy.

Do you wish the world were wiser?
Well, suppose you make a start,
By accumulating wisdom
In the scrapbook of your heart;
Do not waste one page on folly;
Live to learn, and learn to live.
If you want to give men knowledge
You must get it, ere you give.

Do you wish the world were happy?
Then remember day by day
Just to scatter seeds of kindness
As you pass along the way,
For the pleasures of the many
May be ofttimes traced to one.
As the hand that plants an acorn
Shelters armies from the sun.


Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850 – 1919)
Ella Wheeler Wilcox.www.hubs.com

Another Chance

How often we wish for another chance
to make a fresh beginning.
A chance to blot out our mistakes
And change failure into winning.

It does not take a new day
To make a brand new start,
It only takes a deep desire
To try with all our heart.

To live a little better
And to always be forgiving
And to add a little sunshine
To the world in which we're living.

So never give up in despair
And think that you are through,
For there's always a tomorrow
And the hope of starting new.

Helen Steiner Rice (1900-1981)
www.HelenSteinerRice.com

Start Where You Stand

Start where you stand and never mind the past,
The past won't help you in beginning new,
If you have left it all behind at last,
Why, that's enough, you're done with it, you're through.

This is another chapter in the book,
This is another race that you have planned,
Don't give the vanished days a backward look,
Start where you stand.

The world won't care about your old defeats
If you can start anew and win success,
The future is your time, and time is fleet
And there is much of work and strain and stress.

Forget the buried woes and dead despairs,
Here is a brand new trial right at hand,
The future is for him who does and dares,
Start where you stand.

Old failures will not halt, old triumphs aid,
Today's the thing, tomorrow soon will be;
Get in the fight and face it unafraid,
And leave the past to ancient history.

What has been, has been; yesterday is dead
And by it you are neither blessed nor banned,
Take courage, man, be brave and drive ahead,
Start where you stand.

~By Berton Braley (1882-1966)

Source: Inspiration Line

Leaves Are Changing

As the leaves surely change,
With time, so do we.
We grow and we learn,
From the things that we see.

Everything makes a difference,
Whether subtle or grand;
The heart can grow stronger,
And the mind will expand.

It's true, we're affected
By everything that's been said;
Every movie we've watched,
And all the books that we've read.

Though just like the leaves,
No two are akin;
Each one is unique
Like every person within.

And just like the seasons,
We're all changing as well;
For our lives are each different,
As are the stories we tell.

No matter how much we change,
You will always be special to me!

~Author Unknown

The Invincible You

There's nothing to fear — you're as good as the best,
As strong as the mightiest, too;
You CAN win in every battle or test
For there's no one just like you.

There's only one you in the world today
'Cause nobody else, you see,
Can do your work in as fine a way:
You're the ONLY one there'll be!

So face the world, and all life is yours
To conquer and love and live,
And you'll find the happiness that endures
In just the measure you give.

There's nothing too good for you to possess,
Nor heights where you cannot go:
Your power is more than belief or guess —
It is something you have to KNOW.

There is nothing to fear —
you can and you will,
For you ARE the invincible you,
Set your foot upon the highest hill —
There's NOTHING you cannot do.

~ Author Unknown

Women of Strength

Women have strengths that amaze ...

They carry children, they carry hardships, they carry burdens,
yet they hold faith, happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.

They volunteer for good causes.
They are pink ladies in hospitals, they bring food to shut ins.
They are senators, educators, childcare workers, executives, attorneys,
truck drivers, pilots, stay at home moms and your neighbors.

They fight for what they believe in. They stand up against injustice.
They write to the "powers that be" for things that make for a better life.
They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.

They can wipe a tear, cover a cut and pat you on the back at the same time.
They go without new shoes so their children can have them.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They tell people that need to be told to straighten up their act.
They lend a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen
and a voice to make suggestions.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They have sorrow at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They can round up energy, even when they are tired.
They can stay up a little longer to talk to someone that needs a friend.

Women do more than give birth. They bring peace and hope.
They give compassion and ideals.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
They weep with joy when their children excel,
and cheer when loved ones get awards.

Women want people to grow into the best person they can be.
They want to touch you in a way that
will make you share your goodness with others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears,
the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair
... true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from her eyes because
that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world spin!

~ Author Unknown ~

Note: History of Mother's Day

PHENOMENAL WOMAN

From A Journey Begins

Pretty women wonder
Where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit
A fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.

It's in the reach of my arms, the span of my hips,
The stride of my step, the curl of my lips.
I'm a woman ... phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.

I say,
It's in the click of my heels, the bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand, the need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman ... phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Excerpted from the Poem
"Phenomenal Woman"
By Maya Angelou ©1995

FULL TEXTS

Phenomenal Woman

BY MAYA ANGELOU

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size   

But when I start to tell them,

They think I’m telling lies.

I say,

It’s in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,   

The stride of my step,   

The curl of my lips.   

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,   

That’s me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,   

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.   

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.   

I say,

It’s the fire in my eyes,   

And the flash of my teeth,   

The swing in my waist,   

And the joy in my feet.   

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered   

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can’t touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,   

They say they still can’t see.   

I say,

It’s in the arch of my back,   

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Now you understand

Just why my head’s not bowed.   

I don’t shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.   

When you see me passing,

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It’s in the click of my heels,   

The bend of my hair,   

the palm of my hand,   

The need for my care.   

’Cause I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

I Shall Wear Purple

When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other peoples' gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickles for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practise a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.


~Jenny Joseph (1932 - ) Visit Jenny's Website
Get Jenny's Book at Amazon: "Warning: When I Am an Old Woman"

A Mom's Prayer

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my sanity to keep;
For if some peace I do not find,
I'm pretty sure I'll lose my mind.

May I lie back — not have to think
About what they're stuffing down the sink,
Or who they're with, or where they're at
And what they're doing to the cat.

I pray for time all to myself...
(Did something just fall off a shelf?)
To cuddle in my nice, soft bed...
(Oh no, another goldfish — dead!)
Some silent moments for goodness sake...
(Did I just hear a window break?)

I pray I find a little quiet
Far from the daily family riot:
And that I need not cook or clean —
Well heck, I've got the right to dream!

Yes, now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my wits about me keep;
But as I look around I know —
I must have lost them long ago!

~ Author Unknown

When You Thought I Wasn't Looking

(Written by a former child)

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator,
and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw you feed a stray cat,
and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw you make my favorite cake for me,
and I learned that the little things can be very special in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick,
and I learned that we all need to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw you give your time and money to help people who had nothing,
and I learned that everyone can make a difference.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it,
and I learned the importance of FAMILY.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good,
and I learned that I would need to be responsible when I grew up.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I sometimes saw tears come from your eyes,
and I learned there are things that can hurt, yet it's O.K. to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw that you truly cared about people,
and I wanted to be everything that I could possibly be
to follow in your footsteps.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I looked at you and wanted to say,
"Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."


~Modified Version, Author Unknown — Mary Rita Schilke Korzan, Original Author
(Contributed by Beverly who lives in St. Cloud, Florida)

A Difference

Amidst the morning mist of the swift returning tide
I set out on my daily run, my Walkman on my side.
Lost within my private world apart from cares and woes
I ran along the moistened shore, the sand between my toes.

In the distance, I saw a boy, as busy as can be.
He was running, stooping, picking up, and tossing in the sea.
Just what he threw, I couldn't tell, I looked as I drew near.
It seemed to be a rock or shell — as I approached him I could hear:

"Back you go, where you belong. You're safe now hurry home.
Your family's waiting for you, little starfish, hurry on!"
It seemed the evening tide had washed the starfish on the shore,
And the swift receding water left a thousand there or more.

And this self-appointed savior, was trying one-by-one
To toss them back into the sea, against the racing sun.
I saw his plight was hopeless, that most of them would die.
I called out from my private world, "Hey Kid, why even try?"

"Must be at least a thousand here, strewn along the beach,
And even if you had the time, most you'll never reach.
You really think it makes a difference, to waste your time this way?"
And then I paused and waited, just to hear what he would say.

He stooped and took another, and looked me in the eye.
"It makes a difference to this one sir, this starfish will not die!"
With that, he tossed the little life, back where there was hope.
He stooped to take another. I could tell this was no joke.

The words that he spoke to me cut like a surgeon's knife.
Where I saw only numbers, he saw only life.
He didn't see the multitude of starfish on the sand.
He only saw the little life he held there in his hand.

He didn't stop to argue, to prove that he was right.
He just kept tossing starfish in the sea with all his might.
So I too stooped, and I picked up, and I tossed into the sea,
And I thought, just what a difference, that this boy has made in me.

By Randy Poole (A Missionary in Nicaragua)
From: InspirationPeak.com

THE MEANING OF LIFE

Your life is a journey ahead of you.
Each day is a new beginning.
Yesterday is a friend that will guide you.

There will be good times and bad times;
Cherish the good, because they make life sweet,
But be thankful for the bad,

For through them you come to know
The important things in life
And the meaning of life.

There will be times when you face
Difficult decisions,
And you won’t know which way to turn.

The important thing is that you make a choice,
And move forward.
There will be times that test your strength and endurance,

But don’t give up;
Refuse to accept defeat,
For perseverance is the key to success.
there will be times when you are hurt by love.

Forgive those who hurt you
So that your heart will be free to love again.

There will be times when you make mistakes.
Remember that mistakes are not a reflection of your self-worth,
But of your humanity.

Nor do they make you less of a person.
Because of the lessons you’ve learned,
You’ve grown and become wiser.

There will be times when your search for happiness
Leads to frustration and disappointment,
But don’t stop believing in happiness.
Being happy with yourself goes a long way toward
Knowing happiness in your life.

There will be times when life seems unfair,
But don’t allow it to make you bitter
And steal your joy.
Nothing is worth this.

When fear stands in the way of reaching out for your dreams,
Confront them and you will conquer them.

There will be times when your faith is shaken,
But don’t despair,
It will rise up and carry you above the storm and to victory….

Copyright © 1996 By Nancye Sims

Source: Positive Thoughts

Angels Online

There's a land where I go, when I need to share,
That's not on a map, yet exists everywhere;
Lots of names without faces, a curious place,
A virtual creation that's called — cyberspace.

There are all sorts of people with cute little handles,
Like Jasmine and Sandman and Rosebud and Jangles;
Some can be snobs, though most are great fun,
And some of them just want to talk with someone.

Both good and bad, they all play a role,
And each one's unique, but part of the whole;
We chat and we laugh and often we sigh,
We flirt and we 'hug' and sometimes we cry.

We can't be heard and we can't be seen,
Still we can 'talk' right there on that screen;
But, all in all, the most curious part
Is the power this has to open our hearts.

We share with a stranger stuff we've concealed
From our closest of friends — things we never reveal!
Our deepest regrets and most troubling fears,
The scars in our life which bring us to tears.

What gives them the power to reach into me
And show me the truths that I never see?
How do they manage to open my eyes
And make me confess the pain and the lies?

This must have been planned by Spirit above,
Few places on earth can bring so much love;
When I need some direction I know I can find
Those angels from heaven just waiting online.

~Author Unknown (Adaptation)

Friends Make a Difference

Some people come into our lives and quickly go;
Some people move our souls to dance; they awaken us to new understanding
With the passing whisper of their wisdom;
Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon.

Friends share simple, ordinary times in our lives,
Moments that become memories that stay in our hearts forever
... And we will never, ever be the same.

Friendship is a strange thing ...
It is by chance we met, by choice we became friends;
We find ourselves telling each other the deepest details of our lives,
things we don't even share with our families who raised us.

But what is a friend? A confidant? A lover? A fellow email junkie?
A shoulder to cry on? An ear to listen? A heart to feel?
A friend is ALL of these things and more;
No matter where we met, I call you "friend":
A word so small ... yet so large in feeling ... a word filled with emotion.

Once the package of friendship has been opened,
It can never be completely closed;
It is a constant book always waiting to be read ... and enjoyed.

We may have disagreements,
We may argue, we may concern one another ...
Friendship is a unique bond that lasts through it all.

A part of me is put into my friends: some is my humor, some is my listening ear,
Some is real life experience, some is my romanticism, but with all, it is FRIENDSHIP ...
Thanks for making a difference in my life!

~ Author Unknown