Friends

I have always been a shy person.  When I was young, I was so shy that unless people spoke to me, I didn’t talk to anyone.  It would usually take several months for me to warm up enough to speak at all.  As I got older, it became a problem.  I was too shy to ask questions in class, and I would avoid any new situation, which often limited me in every aspect of life.

Later in high school, I started palling around with a group of other guys with similar values.  A couple of these guys invited me to go to a movie with them.  I gave them a number of reasons why I couldn’t, but one of them would not take no for an answer.  They showed up at my house to get me, just as I was coming in from milking the cow.  It was during the winter, and if you know anything about cows, they will find the muckiest places to ly down.  Things get pretty mucky in the winter.  Washing the cows clean enough to milk them is hard work.

Needless to say, when I came in from milking, I was pretty messy.  I was pretty embarrassed.  Again I told them that I couldn’t go.  They stayed and waited while I rushed to shower and got ready to go anyway.  I don’t remember what movie it was, but I remember how I felt when they were so intent on including me.

After that, we did most everything together.  We (this whole group) became true friends.  In later years, we have each voiced how we each had worked hard to improve ourselves and do greater things, because we did not want to disappoint the others.  To me, these men saved my life in many different ways.  I have always been grateful for their efforts.  On the other hand, they have voiced the same to me.  I had no idea that I had influenced their lives as much as they had mine.

During these last 7 years, I have used that lesson to try to lift others.  I have not been disappointed at the outcome of any of the efforts I have made.  In lifting others, I find I cannot help but be lifted myself.  Just as I benefitted from the association with my friends, they too benefitted from associating with me.  It seems an eternal truth, we cannot serve someone else, without benefitting from it also.

I hope this thought will help to lift you.

Until my next post,

Jene