The three friends rejoiced to see one another again. It
had been a long time. Each had a different saga to share, a tale of a difficult
journey taken not completely alone because they had had one another for support
and consolation. They rejoiced that their friendship was a kind that
transcended personal struggles, weaknesses or losses.
Two men and one woman. They had only four days to be
together. The first couple of days were marked by riotous laughter, tales of
past adventures with a bit of silly cynicism thrown into the mix. They also had
a wonderful opportunity to process together the things that were happening to
them during the course of the workshop they were attending together.
As they moved into days three and four, their mood began
to shift. They grew quieter, more introspective. They shared not laughter, but
wisdom—the kind of wisdom that comes from contemplative experience rather than
well-written books. This wisdom had been written in their hearts as the most
recent chapters of their lives had unfolded.
The last night, there was silence. Deep abiding silence,
the silence that can only happen when people feel completely safe around each
other. It was a bittersweet silence this time. Without saying anything, they
knew that their sojourn together was coming to an end. They also knew that the
way their life schedules played out, this might be the last time they were ever
together again. And so they grieved a bit. They grieved because they loved
deeply.
They sat still in the silence, wanting to prolong it for
as long as they could, grateful to a God who had brought them together, who had
knitted them together in a blessed and unique friendship.
The time passed and they said goodbye. The hugs were
intense but short-lived. And then they moved on.
They moved on, but not for long. The emails started
immediately, each reaching out to touch the other through fingertips and
smiling remembrances.
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