"Bosom" Friends

Friends are so wonderful.

My best friend, Lori, just left. She and I have known each other for years, but it's only been within the last three years or so that we've become close. Friends are to me like the air I breathe. It isn't just a nice thing to have but an absolute necessity.

The fact that we can both share difficulties and joys and truly commiserate one with another or celebrate each other's big moments are such a lifeline. Everyone needs that kind of a friend whether they realize it or not.

Some people never experience such a friendship. I truly feel sorry for them because they have no idea what they are missing in life. When I lost a dear friend to me years before, I wondered if I'd ever find that kind of friendship with anyone else ever again.

It made me think of David and Jonathan from scripture. Jonathan's father, Saul, was king of Israel. Jonathan was next in line for the throne, but he recognized God's anointing of David as the next king. They had an incredibly close friendship that only ended in death. King David provided for Jonathan's surviving son, Mephibosheth. That's how much his friendship with Jonathan meant.

I've always wondered if David ever had such a friend again. Scripture doesn't record anything, but friendships like that don't happen often. It saddened me to think that after I lost my best friend that I might never find such a friend again. Someone who wasn't afraid to let it all hang out and be okay with it. Someone who lived every moment of life with passion and enthusiasm. Someone who could laugh with you one moment and cry the next. Someone who wasn't ashamed of being human.

It is so hard to believe that I've been blessed with such a dear friendship again. It makes me think of Anne of Green Gables when she spoke of "bosom friends". That's what such a friendship is like to me too.

So thanks to my "bosom" friends out there.