Monday, November 17, 2008

Friends Are The Rest Stops On The Highway Of Life

That's right. Friends are the Rest Stops on the Highway of Life. Sometimes they are few are far between and it never fails that when you decide to wait for the next one you have a sudden need for the one that just passed.
I like to drive the speed limit on my highway of life and stop at all of the attractions that are advertised on the roadside. Occasionally I have detours and I can always count on road work to slow me down and make the trip frustrating for a while, but I try not to pass up the rest stops if I can help it. I think I am on the scenic route of my highway at the moment. Its very pretty, but as I have not traveled this road before I can't be sure where the rest stops are and what lies ahead. So far my rest stops have been the kind you find in Texas. There are a couple of covered tables and some garbage cans, but no restrooms. Good to stop and stretch the ol appendages, but not quite what I need. (for those NOT following the analogy.... these are the friends I have left behind. They are still there for me if I call them, but there isn't much they can do if I want them to come and share cake scraps with me)
I am happy to report, though, that I found a rest stop that has all the amenities! I have a standing appointment on Mondays. We get together and we chat, and gripe, and laugh, and joke, and listen. Recently I opted to skip one of our get togethers. I didnt like it, but it was necessary. I see it as one of those moments on the highway where you see a note under the Rest Stop sign that tells you that the next one is 32 miles away. I thought that I would be able to make it to the next one, but like it always is, I spent the next 32 miles wishing I had stopped. We joked all week about how I am her therapy and it threw her for a loop to not have that girl time, but in reality she is MY therapy too. I didnt realize how much I had come to rely on that rest stop until I had passed it up.
Consider my lesson learned. When life offers you shade, vending machines and (hopefully) well maintained lavatories do NOT pass it up.

1 comment:

amberd. said...

I can totally relate. Girlfriends are wonderful....and free therapy. I really think Father set it up that way, you know? We are somehow each others saving grace. Especially from our man friends who sometimes inadvertently hurt our feelings or screw us over (haha!) I love my girlie friends. They are the best!

but Pam....I hate rest stops. I only stop as few times as necessary. hilarious!