A few days ago, I had breakfast with a friend. The food was tasty, the atmosphere pleasant, the company wonderful. We chatted for more than an hour and a half, discussing everything from extreme couponing to garage sales, religion to politics (yes, we tackled even those forbidden topics).
Afterward, I felt renewed. Isn't that the way with good friends? We feel renewed after spending time with them, renewed, refreshed, refurbished. At my age, I need all the refurbishing I can get.
The following day, I went to visit another friend. Food wasn't involved, but we managed to have a good time anyway. (Those of you who are Mormon understand that food is usually involved in any gathering.) We laughed a great deal, even when talking about hard subjects, like an upcoming operation she is due to have. Again, I came away feeling renewed.
I think that is a prime characteristic of good friends: they leave you feeling better than you did before. Have you ever been with someone whom, when you leave them, you feel drained and depressed? I have. You probably continue to see this person, to visit with him or her, because for whatever reason, they are important in your life. But you do not come away feeling uplifted and optimistic. In fact, quite the opposite.
So, for today, I am grateful for friends who uplift (much like a good bra!).
. . . instead of the ones who give you a headache or leave you feeling bunched in all the wrong places (much like a bad bra!).
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