Octavia E. Butler, a Black woman, best known for being “the first” science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship wrote an incredible quote about friendship. It reads:
“Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over.”
I liked the quote so much that I used it to market my latest coaster style, (above), which is all about friend-giving. As Butler posits, sometimes being a friend is knowing how to show up in the various seasons of life.
After enduring near-death experiences, a person (like me) will try to rekindle relationships and be friendlier than ever before. But timing is everything. Sometimes you cannot be there (for them) physically, but you can always send a gift.
Letting your friends know that you are thinking about them and that you are there when they need you is always a good start. Keep these words of wisdom in mind:
“A friend loves at all times...” Proverbs 17:17a, and “A man who. has friends must himself be friendly…” Proverbs 18:24a (NKJV).
Sincerely yours,
Leah