December 13, 2016 – Christmas sentiments – Best Friend     

          I am extremely fortunate that I have a best friend I have known since I was a child.  She lived down the road 4 houses or so.  Our Moms have been close friends for all these years as well.

          She has the most gorgeous handwriting.  She wraps gifts like a pro.  Sometimes you don’t even want to unwrap it because it is so beautiful.  I consider a beautifully wrapped gift one of the most precious gifts in life as it shows affection and love from another. 

And, she goes out of her way at every “card” occasion to find the perfect card.  I have kept every one of her cards over the years and they give me much delight to re-read them and admire them.  She has made looking for cards for me part of her shopping life.  She goes out of her way to quaint shops and interesting places for the “perfect” card and she plans ahead.  I haven’t had one imperfect card in all these years.  That has to be a shopping record!

          A week or so ago she called to apologize in advance for the card she was sending because she said it wasn’t up to her standard of “pretty” but she felt the sentiment was so beautiful.

When I received the card I remembered her cautionary warning and I opened it ever so slowly to take it in at face value.

It is interesting paper, it is red and green for Christmas, and actually, it would rank up there about an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 for the front of the card.

However, the sentiment inside the card took my breath away and made me cry. It ranks about a 25 on a scale of 1 to 10.  It has been a couple of days now and anytime I re-read it I cry.   It will be kept close by, probably in the top of my dresser drawer so that I can refer to it often for the rest of my life.

Thank you, dear friend.  I apologize to you now – as I am going to share your beautiful gift to others which you probably did not want to happen.  But, I must as it is simply too beautiful for this card to be kept just between the two of us.

By Barbara Cage

I tried to think of something

I could give you this Christmas

that would signify all you mean to me.

It had to be something very special

because that’s what you are.

It had to be something that would last,

just as our friendship has all these years.

It had to be something

                that would make you feel good,

because that’s how I feel anytime we’re together.

It had to be a reminder of

                the good times we’ve had,

something that would connect you to me

                in memories.

It had to be filled with hope

and faith in the future

and dreams just waiting to come true.

So I took all my memories of us

and put them in this card.

Then I added all the laughter,

the secrets, and the comforting

and encouraging words we’ve shared

and mixed them all together.

I sprinkled it with faith,

                stirred in a promise of forever,

                and sealed it with love.

Because all along I knew

                that there is no greater gift

than the wonderful friendship we share,

and all I can ever hope to do

                is give it back to you.

Merry Christmas,

My Friend