Craving Friends: A Life-Saving Recipe
Craving Friends: A Life-Saving Recipe for Surviving this Pandemic
Step One: Interview Your Heart: “How are you doing, Heart?”
Hey, Heart. I’m feeling lonely. It’s Saturday afternoon, and I wish I had a friend. I have enough magazines and catalogues. I’ve thumbed through them all. I don’t need anything new to wear when winter comes. I don’t need new bedroom slippers or boots. I recently bought new pajamas that are both warm and comfortable. I already replaced my boots after losing the left one. I have enough Ritz Crackers and enough Wisconsin cheeses to put on the little table next to the TV to last us awhile.
Books. I have books. Some are already stacked in the white bookcase in my home office. Others that are close at hand are The Principles and Practice of Surveying by Breed and Hosmer, Anne Proulx’s Barkskins, PD. James’ Devices and Desires, Bronner’s Rhyming Phrases Dictionary, The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, Evocative Objects: Things We Think With edited by Sherry Turkle. Amidst this idiosyncratic collection in my personal library are other books I’ll never read but am fond of seeing and touching. My heart is nourished by books.
The heart that resides in my husband is a good one, say both his doctor and me. Al and I have already enjoyed many, many years together. A poignant wish is that Al and I could thrive together into eternity. Barring that, I’ll get by with a little help from my friends and family, (and doctors).
I love a lot of people. Not everybody but several people, nay, many people. They are selectively plentiful. I am very lucky to have many people to love: one sister, one brother, two sisters-in-law, two sons, one daughter, one daughter-in-law, one son-in-law, four grandchildren and two nieces and one nephew.
I can’t create more sons and daughters or sisters or bothers. But I can love the ones I have, love them even when occasionally some are not being especially lovable. I can try to remember to appreciate all the very fine people to love; and have compassion for other groups that are beyond my reach. That remains one of the goals in my life.
And I can be on the lookout for new friends. I think I may have found one today. Hip, Hip, Hurray!
Step One: Interview Your Heart: “How are you doing, Heart?”
Hey, Heart. I’m feeling lonely. It’s Saturday afternoon, and I wish I had a friend. I have enough magazines and catalogues. I’ve thumbed through them all. I don’t need anything new to wear when winter comes. I don’t need new bedroom slippers or boots. I recently bought new pajamas that are both warm and comfortable. I already replaced my boots after losing the left one. I have enough Ritz Crackers and enough Wisconsin cheeses to put on the little table next to the TV to last us awhile.
Books. I have books. Some are already stacked in the white bookcase in my home office. Others that are close at hand are The Principles and Practice of Surveying by Breed and Hosmer, Anne Proulx’s Barkskins, PD. James’ Devices and Desires, Bronner’s Rhyming Phrases Dictionary, The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, Evocative Objects: Things We Think With edited by Sherry Turkle. Amidst this idiosyncratic collection in my personal library are other books I’ll never read but am fond of seeing and touching. My heart is nourished by books.
The heart that resides in my husband is a good one, say both his doctor and me. Al and I have already enjoyed many, many years together. A poignant wish is that Al and I could thrive together into eternity. Barring that, I’ll get by with a little help from my friends and family, (and doctors).
I love a lot of people. Not everybody but several people, nay, many people. They are selectively plentiful. I am very lucky to have many people to love: one sister, one brother, two sisters-in-law, two sons, one daughter, one daughter-in-law, one son-in-law, four grandchildren and two nieces and one nephew.
I can’t create more sons and daughters or sisters or bothers. But I can love the ones I have, love them even when occasionally some are not being especially lovable. I can try to remember to appreciate all the very fine people to love; and have compassion for other groups that are beyond my reach. That remains one of the goals in my life.
And I can be on the lookout for new friends. I think I may have found one today. Hip, Hip, Hurray!
Rev. Cynthia Barnes Johnson, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Door County
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