"...friendship multiplies blessings and minimizes misfortunes; it is a unique remedy against adversity, and it soothes the soul." Baltasar Gracian

I love celebrating with my friends.

Last night we toasted my dear friend's 35th wedding Anniversary with fine wines, great food and wonderful friendship and love.

One couple opened their house to the event and the rest of us all helped in making the dinner...and, it was delicious. We started out with thinly sliced cheese and pears, shrimp, onions and peppers, and tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. The main course consisted of grilled tenderloin of beef, glazed salmon, individually stuffed red potatoes, cold broccoli salad, homemade mushroom bread and farm stand tomatoes and Vidalia onion slices sprinkled with fresh basil and olive oil. We sipped on some wonderful Pinot Noir wines to compliment the delicious meal. YUM! It was quite a feast.

As I look over this picture of this group of my friends, the rich history of these relationships stands out in my mind. We have all shared life's joys together: as we started our families over thirty years ago; as we watched our children grow up; as we have celebrated 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th and even a 70th birthday together; we have watched and nourished the relationships as we have become a "family" of sorts.

We have been there for each other through the years even when things got tough: through illness and misfortune; when loved ones have passed on, through divorces and other losses and held each other's hands and hearts in these bad times.

As I look at the beautiful faces from last night, I can't help but smile as I think about how each of us has our own little quirks...and these have not changed through the many years of friendship. The difference now is that we can laugh at ourselves with the inevitable acceptance that comes with growing older. This is who we authentically are and we are loved because/in spite of these individual traits.

Of course, we can continually surprise each other at times when we step out of our comfort zone and do something entirely uncharacteristic. Suddenly, after so many years of not getting back on an airplane, I am now traveling quite frequently and flying all the time. This continues to surprise even me...but, it is something that I needed to do.

All of these dear friends have grown in their own ways throughout the many years of friendship...and the rest of us are consistently there to cheer one another on... as we take these important, and sometimes difficult, steps in our lives. We always know that we are not alone as we go on our individual journeys...

In this crazy world that we live in, it's comforting to know that we have each other.

And,when you think about it, isn't that what friendships are really all about?