Old Friends
"I do not say new friends are not considerate and true,
Or that their smiles ain't genuine, but still I'm tellin' you
That when a feller's heart is crushed and achin' with the pain
And teardrops come a-splashin' down his cheeks like summer rain,
Becoz his grief an' loneliness are more than he can bear
Somehow it's only old friends, then, that really seem to care.
The friends who've stuck through thick an' thin, who've known you, good an' bad,
Your faults an' virtues, an' have seen the struggles you have had,
When they come to you gentle-like an' take your hand an' say:
"Cheer up! we're with you still," it counts, for that's the old friends' way.
The new friends may be fond of you for you are to-day;
They've only known you rich, perhaps, an' only seen you gay;
You can't tell what's attracted them; your station may appeal;
Perhaps they smile on you because you're doin' something real;
But old friends who have seen you fail, an' also seen you win,
Who've loved you either up or down, stuck to you, thick or thin,
Who knew you as a budding youth, an' watched you start to climb,
Through weal an' woe, still friends of yours an' constant all the time,
When trouble comes an' things go wrong, I don't care what you say,
They are the friends you'll turn to , for you want the old friend' way.
The new friends may be richer, an' more stylish, too, but when
Your heart is achin' an' you think your sun won't shine again,
It's not the riches of new friends you want, it's not their style,
It's not the airs of the grandeur then, it's just the old friend's smile,
The old hand has helped before, stretched out once more to you,
The old words ringin' in your ears, so sweet an', Oh, so true!
The tenderness of folks who know just what your sorrow means,
These are the things on which, somehow, your spirit always leans.
When grief is poundin' at your breast---the new friends disappear
An to the old ones tried an' true, you turn for aid an' cheer."
By: Edgar A Guest
I found this sweet poem in a book Dearest Marie(Idreamtidweltinmarblehalls) lent to me when BJ and I drove up to be with my Dad after he went into achoma. The words in it are so true and I have been so blessed to be befriended by these sweet sweet ladies. I have had some tough times and a lot of tears over the past few months but Marie and Elizabeth have stuck right in there with me. The lent me puzzles and books to keep me busy, and gave me a sweet doggy book to bring me smile at a time my heart was breaking. They have also let me be an aunt to their precious little babies, which I am sooo thankful for.
I am so blessed God allowed us to be together again for "such a time as this", maybe not the type of time one thinks about when repeating that verse, but it is a time, it had to come, and God is strengthening me each day.
I am also very blessed to have another old friend, my husband. He reminds me over and over of the bigger picture of life and my part in it. I am not sure I would have been able to make it through each night I hadn't been able to snuggle up by his side. He is such a sweet and loving husband. I am so thankful he is in my life. We have been married one year now as of Mar 27 and will be sharing our Big wedding aniversary on June 20th. I'm a lucky girl I get to celebrate being married twice a year!
I am sorry it has been quite too long since my last post, but I was afraid all my posts would be a little sad and sappy. But I'm back and will be posting more about my new house, patriot and Strydess, and some stuff BJ and I did this winter.
(Elizabeth and Marie and I. I didn't have a picture of me and Eliza.
I hope I don't get in trouble for posting these pics)
Thanks and Love,
Jodi
