Blessing of friends

Today I will spend a moment to reflect on the value and strength I have drawn from my friendships. It’s very difficult to classify and define where different individuals fit in on the canvas of my life. Many of my closest friends are the furthest away in terms of distance. There are others, though just people I considered as nice, whose love and just being there for me has brought them closer to me through this time.
Anne and I sent off an e-mail within a week of my diagnosis to my friends at College and school. We also contacted the few people closest to us. We were as blunt as possible. We had nothing to hide, but we asked them all to pray for us – and that was what we needed. I had only let the same group know a month before that we were going to have a baby – so you can imagine them getting e-mails that read – “hey guys, goanna have a baby!”, then in 4 weeks “ hey guys, got a lymphoma!”. It was just incredible the way they responded. An entire group came in from Bangalore, e-mails from around the world just saying that they care, offers to help, calls of support from those I knew though even so briefly. There was silence too, from some of the loudest people – but when those people did speak to me, they were genuine in saying that they had no words to offer when they knew. I believe them, and I know that came from care – what use are empty words spoken in just a sense of duty to finish off the job?
I am a person who can not think of what I would have said if the roles were reversed. This entire episode has taught me so much. In retrospect I can not suggest which way one should react if a loved one or friend needs your support. But when the care is in your heart it shows in whatever way you choose however simple. O boy, does it show. I’ll give you examples, we have received chocolates, home made squash because I need fluids, photocopied daily devotionals that someone thought helped them, food books, a bike ride, an offer to store our babies umbilical cord stem cells, calls from friends with cheer and offers to come spend time, books, e-mails, bible promises (very useful), cards and the list is just endless… but each offer, word and deed done in such love. I will not mention the names of my friends here because I have too many and will not achieve the purpose of this post. But I must say that if not for the love of friends, my road to recovery would not be as half as blessed as it has been.