by Pamela S. Thibodeaux
Do you have a friend for whom you’d lay down your life?
We all
know Jesus is such a friend and He did just that, but what about one in human
form? How about one you’ve known for life?
I am
blessed to have a few long-time (I’m talking since childhood) friends, some
special friends I’ve known for shorter periods of time and even more blessed to
have numerous acquaintances that I call ‘friend.”
Like
you, Delia! :-)
There
are work relationships, writer friends, Internet friends, etc. But what is a
true friend?
My
mother and her best friend of 56 years passed away exactly 2 weeks apart. Made
us all wonder if their souls had planned it that way. Is it possible they’d
been friends before….in heaven or, if you believe in reincarnation, perhaps in
another lifetime? Is it probable that, in unspoken agreement, neither cared to
navigate life on earth without the other?
I
don’t know for sure about any of these possibilities, but it is
strange they met while working at the same place, made a connection that lasted
a lifetime and left the worldly plane so closely together.
Proverbs
18:24 teaches us … “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and
there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”
That’s
exactly the kind of friendship Craig Harris and Scott Hensley share. Fate had
them neighbors, scandal had them brothers, but the two share a friendship many
of us long for. Follow these beloved characters throughout the years as love
crosses the lines of age and strengthens the bonds of friendship.
Award-winning author, Pamela S.
Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in
Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as
creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an
Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier
and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”
Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * Amazon Author Page * BookBub
Purchase The Tempered Series bundle
Leave a comment on every Chirp 'N Chatter Friendship post in September for a chance to win the fantastic virtual gift basket! (See the 09/01/2016 Gift Basket post.)
Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * Amazon Author Page * BookBub
Purchase The Tempered Series bundle
Leave a comment on every Chirp 'N Chatter Friendship post in September for a chance to win the fantastic virtual gift basket! (See the 09/01/2016 Gift Basket post.)
Welcome, Pamela! I appreciate you being a part of Friendship Month on Chirp 'N Chatter...and thank you for being a friend! :)
ReplyDeleteYou both have been great friends to me, and given me encouragement and cyberhugs! It was a joy to meet you in Bandera, Pamela. One of the best times ever at the Silver Spur.
ReplyDeleteTanya, you're always so encouraging and sweet! I would so love to meet both you and Pamela. Maybe Bandera, one year. Or...wouldn't it be nice to have a PBG get-together? 😀
DeleteI SO enjoyed meeting you too, Tanya and I'd LOVE to have a PBG get together and meet you, Delia and other authors. We've talked about it before...just gotta make it happen.
DeleteThanks for stopping by Tanya.
Good luck and God's blessings to you both.
PamT
Thank you Delia!
ReplyDeleteGood luck and God's blessings to you, Friend!!
PamT
lovely post :)
ReplyDeleteHi, Clare! I enjoyed thus one too. All the Friendship posts this month have been really special. Blessing to you, my friend!
DeleteThanks Clare! Glad you stopped by. Wishing you the best of luck and God's blessings.
DeletePamT
Pam and Delia, I have a friend of many years whom I met through writing. She is such a dear Christian sister/friend that I found a birthday card addressed to my Soul Friend. I cherish knowing both of you and look forward to meeting you in person.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great friend to have, LoRee.
DeleteWould love to meet you too.
Thanks for stopping by!
PamT
What a day that will be, LoRee! I'll bring you a cardinal when it finally happens. lol
DeleteFriendship is a true gift from God for our time here on Earth! It's a great idea for a blog post. Thank you for sharing, Pamela.
ReplyDeleteI agree Hope!
DeleteThanks for stopping by
PamT
I can't imagine life without friends. I recently lost my oldest friend (49 years worth of soul-friend quality friendship), and I'm still reeling from that goodbye. But I wouldn't trade anything for having known and loved her. Friends and family are what make life beautiful!
DeleteGreat post, Pamela. I worry that younger generations that grow up on email, texting, Twitter, and Facebook won't develop the same, strong personal relationships that lead to lifetime friendships.
ReplyDeleteIt is a valid concern, Marissa. However, some of the friends I consider so very dear are those I've met online, through writing groups or reader groups. Of course, I would absolutely love to meet them in person - and I have met a few of them. Thing is, after getting so well-acquainted online, meeting them in person was like running into someone I'd known forever. :)
DeleteOh yeah that is definitely sad to think about that, Marissa.
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
Love this story! Friendships are very special indeed.I lost my best friend to cancer at the age of 47 and even though we lived far apart for most of our married lives, we always stayed in touch. That was a hard loss, but I still feel her friendship from afar!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Susan
I can so relate, Susan! Wouldn't take anything for those special, lifelong friendships, even though it hurts when the time comes to bid them goodbye here on earth.
DeleteSo sorry to hear this Susan.
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
Lovely blog, Pamela. I have a lifelong friend like that and feel so very blessed by her friendship. She is a sister of the heart. Thank you for the reminder of how precious our friends are.
ReplyDeletePamela always delivers genuine "soul food" in her posts. :) Thank you for stopping by, Leah.
DeleteThe BEST kind, Leah!
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
How touching a friendship your mom had, and what a wonderful model for you to observe. Thanks for telling us about it. Cheers
ReplyDeleteWatching the relationships of those most dear to us is how most of us learn to relate to others. I'm so glad I had parents who treasured friendships and family members! Thanks for coming by, Marilyn!
DeleteYeah they were great together, Marilyn.
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
Hi Pam. I have friends who are such a blessing to me. I need to thank God for them more often. Christians have a natural bond of friendship because of Jesus. Aren't we blessed!
ReplyDeleteWe are blessed indeed, Barbara! :)
DeleteYes we ARE, Barbara!
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
Oh my gosh, love this blog!!! How adorable. Enjoyed the post, Pamela. I have a friend like that. We've been friends for 40 plus years, since the 7th grade, and we still live in the same area and see one another almost weekly. It's such a blessing to have a special friend like that. Your book sounds like a great read!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you like the blog, Alicia! I've gone all birdie-crazy this past year or so. lol Thank you for stopping by, and leaving a comment.
DeleteHow wonderful for you, Alicia!
DeleteThanks for stopping by
Great post, Pam! Very heart-warming. And I like the theme you've used with the book series, too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Elizabeth! Believe it or not, the theme wasn't intended...it just developed along with the stories.
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
PamT
Friends who become soul mates are irreplaceable! Mine died way too young (age 37 - ovarian cancer) but I still think of her almost every day. Thanks for the thoughtful post.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear this Susan. I had a cousin with whom I was very close..she died in 2008 after we'd finally gotten back in touch from years of not being so.
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
PamT
Hi Pam,
ReplyDeleteI have had some special friends over the years and appreciated each one of them. Friendship is important. We writers tend to work in a solitary manner. The friends we make through the internet are very important as well.
You are so correct, Jacqueline about internet friends! So glad you're one of mine.
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
PamT
Thanks for the heart felt post Pamela.
ReplyDeleteSometimes circumstances happen and we need our facebook friends more then ever. I treasure each one so much. Delia and all the PG authors have been so kind and loving. If that get together happens please don't forget to include your reader fan/friends. So many of them I would love to give a face to face hug.
Your mothers story is so very sweet, what a treasure.
Thank you so much Renette! We certainly will let our reader friends know details if/when we have that get together.
DeleteThanks for stopping by
PamT