Friendship: Place of High Safety

The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo
Excerpt from May 18th:

I have been blessed to have deep friends in my time on Earth.  They have been an oasis when my life has turned a desert.  They have been a cool river to plunge in when my heart has been on fire.  When I was ill, one toweled my head when I couldn't stand without bleeding.  Another bowed at my door saying, "I will be whatever you need as long as you need it."

Still others have ensured my freedom, and they missed me while I searched for bits of truth that only led me back to them.  I have slept in the high lonely wind waiting for God's word.  And while it's true ~ no one can live for you ~ singing from the peak isn't quite the same as whispering in the center of a circle that has carried you ashore.

Honest friends are doorways to our souls, and loving friends are the grasses that soften the world.  It is no mistake that the German root of the word friendship means "place of high safety."  This safety opens us to God.  As Cicero said, "A friend is a second self."  And as Sant Martin said, "My friends are the beings through whom God loves me."

There can be no greater or simpler ambition than to be a friend.

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The greatest gifts in my life have been friendships and the most difficult friendship to honor has been with myself.  I would not be here today without the support, caring, and uplifting spirits of those whom I call friend.  Friends have been mirrors of my own reflection, spiritual travelers on my path, angels in disguise, teachers of difficult lessons, and delightful sisters of my heart. 

It is with great humility and deep gratitude that I thank all of you for being a present and being present in my life.  From each and every one of you, I carry a sacred parcel that helps to enhance the meaning of my existence.  Your friendship has offered me a "place of high safety" where I could be nurtured, healed, and inspired rather than wilt and die.  I would not be the woman I have become today if it were not for all of my sisters who lovingly and graciously witness and complete my circle of life...especially my daughter, Amanda Rose.