For friendship week, I shall continue on this theme. We usually think of friends as someone very close, personal, and very often a lifetime acquaintance. Sometimes personal friends and work friends are in separate categories, separated by activities & things in common. What we don’t usually think about are the nameless friends. Examples are: the person holding a door for us, a person giving up a seat in public transportation, a smile while waiting in a long line, someone letting you go ahead of them in a shopping line and a driver letting you go first at a stop sign. Friends, plain & simple. No names attached. You may never come across these people again for the rest of your life. BUT…maybe you will and you will return the favor or pay it forward to another. It’s how friendship works. The rules are simple: “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Then there are those friends that you just don’t seem to be close to, a bit removed from them, not in the same routine until they touch you in a way you didn’t expect. Every once in awhile a new friend steps forward with a unique presence & integrity. This person goes the extra mile, most of the time it is done without recognition. Sometimes a person goes to the exteme limits to make a difference. We witnessed this difference this week by a friend of the American people. I am speaking of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
"I have closely followed the debate over our debt ceiling and have been deeply disappointed at what's going on in Washington. I strongly believe that crossing the aisle for the good of the American people is more important than party politics," she said.
Giffords, who is still undergoing outpatient therapy, added: "I had to be here for this vote. I could not take the chance that my absence could crash our economy."
Seldom do we see this strength of character in public office. Her commitment to her state of Arizona and to the entire country may possibly be unprecedented considering her recent history. She is the living example of the definition of ‘friend’ in the highest degree.
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