Tuesday, August 14, 2007

50 Pearls of Friendship

This is my 50th post. Funny, seems like 100... maybe it's all the comments. I recently found myself discussing friendship with a young girl who was focused on many friends as opposed to good friends, and I explained to her that there is a big difference between the two.
That conversation inspired me to write a special list of 50 pearls of friendship for this special post.

As far as friends... remember that many friends are like grains of sand on the shore... coming and going, always sifting to and fro... but good friends, really truly great friends, are like pearls; you have to search for them, seek them out, and then hold those precious ones close to you always. Each one is rare... few and far between, and worth more than a thousand grains of sand.

To my very dear friends, each a precious pearl I wear around my heart, thank you...
Love and Light always.

1. My sister, my best friend... she has made her own necklace of pearls for me.

2. Stealing off to Wendover, just for Thanksgiving in a rental car and writing 'Friends Forever' in the wet sand of the desert on the way... and JoeBobHenryJoeBob...

3. Playing at Disneyland, and the beach, and the mountains, and turning circumstance into sisterhood.

4. Playing in miles of bubbles that mysteriously made their way into so many fountains courtesy of the Bubble Bandit Brigade.

5. Holiday dinners filled with laughter, love and wonderful moments.

6. Birthday cakes and hugs and tons of presents.

7. Flying out of the country to play in the sand and surf and soak up the sun together.

8. Midnight phone calls and awesome messages on my voicemail that I keep just to listen to when I need to hear your voice and be cheered up.

9. Holding me while I cry myself to sleep.

10. Letting me rant and rave about it for the hundredth time and still being supportive.

11. Dinners out and dinners in.

12. Books read and discussed and shared.

13. Painting together.

14. Singing together, in the car... on the car... on stage... in the kitchen.

15. Helping me with all my harebrained schemes and ideas.

16. Staying with me when you come to town; it's so good to see you.

17. Laughing until we cannot breath.

18. Calling and emailing me and keeping me afloat with laughter and love.

19. Making me special dinners and wonderful memories.

20. Opera in the snow at night.

21. Forgiveness... both giving and getting it.

22. Going to concerts and shows together.

23. Eating anything I try to cook, and letting me try to bbq before you saved us all.

24. Being forgiving and gracious when I am late.

25. Going on road trips with me.

26. So many wonderful hugs and kisses.

27. Helping me move.

28. Explaining things to me that I do not understand, and then putting up with me when I react.
29. Secrets.

30. Hand holding.

31. Desserts together.

32. Traipsing around towns and cities together.

33. Sharing a good bottle of wine.

34. Meeting me in another country.

35. Showing me things you know I will love.

36. Sharing tea and tea time.

37. Game and movie nights.

38. Tango dance lessons.

39. Letting me show you all the planets and stars in the heavens AGAIN and AGAIN....

40. Reading what I write and giving me honest feedback.

41. Sending me postcards constantly because you know I collect them and I love them... and you support my habit.

42. Sending me goodie boxes because I love surprises.

43. Teaching me to drive a standard... I swear, you have the patience of Job.

44. Inviting me to come along - everywhere.

45. Letting me go as far as I can and then taking over when I have neither the strength nor capability to do it on my own.

46. Understanding.

47. Weddings and babies.

48. Inside jokes.

49. Loving me in spite of myself

50. Keeping the flame of friendship strong and bright because there's nothing like it in the world.


These memories are shared between different friends, except for the few specific ones that had to be included, and those are just a brief sparkle in the deep, strong friendships that are shared with the people who experienced them with me. If you look carefully, you will find pearls of your own within my words, and those are for you to take away when you go. Keep them in your pocket and touch them sometimes to remember why life is so wonderful and so precious.


Much Love,
Scarlett & Viaggiatore

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice pearls. Good post. I especially liked 6, 12, 35 and 46. I'd be happy with just those four pearls. But I'd take all of them, of course.

exskindiver said...

hi scarlett,
you speak to me with 4,7,8,15,17,18,21,33,36,40 and 46.
and we've not ever even met except through here.
imagine how much more if and when we meet face to face.
great and touching post.
made me examine what is important to me.

Anonymous said...

In my crown of friendship, there is a place reserved only for you my lustrous gem of a friend! Your pearls set me aglow! Thank You. Diagra

Anonymous said...

You are such a sweet soul. This was very touching and comforting...

Anonymous said...

that's 50 blessings in your life, and still counting! God surely loves you much!

Unknown said...

A wise and very dear friend once said that family makes you but that friends sustain all that is good in you.

Diana said...

What a wonderful tribute to all that is friend.

The Passionate Palate said...

Those pearls surely remind us of what is precious...thank you for compiling them. I think #49 might come as close to anything as summing up friendship - friendship toward yourself and others. You are a gem (or should I say pearl) Scarlett!

Wayfarer Scientista said...

Beautiful pearls! Glad you passed them on. Thanx :)

Elizabeth said...

Your pearls are beautiful thoughts and memories...thank you for sharing and reminding us to keep these dear ones close to our hearts.

Have happily found your blog from CR8TIVA and your "3 Men who Walk on Water" story. :)

will enjoy going back through your past!

Unknown said...

That was such a beautiful post, Scarlett. Good and true friends are precious and rare - just like your pearls.

apprentice said...

Lovely post missus! Yes friends really do keep you afloat.

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

La perla del blogosphere sei tu!

Love this list, and I also love what Minx wrote above. So very true.

Thanks for letting us be a part of your pearls :)

Wanderlust Scarlett said...

Ally,

I'm so glad that you found some! Great! You may have all of them, if you like.


Chesca,

Ropes and ropes of pearls... how delightful! I'm going to post about the Bubble Bandit Brigade soon... I keep meaning to, with you in mind...
It's good to step back and examine life from time to time, make adjustments and then move forward. Things change too often to leave life on auto pilot.


Diagra,

Glowing pearls... now there's one I hadn't thought of yet! Hmmm... have to look for more of those.
Thanks! I am honored and thrilled.


Cleo,

So are you, lady, very sweet as well. Comfort without the calories is so nice... isn't it? hee hee...


CS,

He does indeed, and I am blessed hundreds of times more than what I've written here. I know you are too... you have a special little pearl that is the light of life; with her comes a whole sea of tiny little pearls that make every day incredible.


Minx,

I love that. It's one of my favorite things that you have written. Thank you kindly, madam.


Diana,

Thanks, it's easy... I have such good friends. I'd run out of room before I ran out of pearls.
I hope you have the same.


Jeni,

If we can find people who really get to know us, and love us anyway... THAT is a true sign of friendship. Hee hee... a Scarlett Pearl... with underlying flickers of other colors. I like that! Thanks!


Scientista,

Thank you! I was happy to share them.


Elizabeth Ann,

Welcome! Delighted to have you here. Cre8tiva is so fun, I like her very much. I'm so pleased you've found a place you want to return to. Please come any time and leave comments to let me know you were here.
It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and forget the special things that mean so much to us when we focus on all the ordinary dailiness of things so often.


Vanilla,

How true, how true. I hope everyone has at least one very good, real friend at some point in their lives. What would our lives be like without them? I never want to know.


Apprentice!

They do... don't they. When it feels like the world has tied itself to ones ankles and is pulling one under... friends can make such a big difference. Peace and love in good numbers.


Sognatrice!

(rushes off to babel fish and comes back with a blush and a smile) Grazie Bella! Grazie Mille... you are a rare pearl yourself, lady. And I am very blessed to have a pearl such as you in my collection.
How could I not include all the pearls I've found in blogging? There are so many more... such wonderful moments and people. We are tied together with words... with sentiment... with ideals... with support and strength... with ambition and hope.


And here's to all the pearls in the world that do not blog, that I will not know or meet... those that will exist without ever crossing my path or my heart, you have crossed my mind. Bless you.


Scarlett & Viaggiatore

Taffiny said...

very beautiful.