The Power of Friendship

Sunday, May 6, 2012

When I was a girl scout we would gather around in a circle and sing:

Make new friends,
but keep the old.
One is silver,
the other is gold.

Little did I truly comprehend at that young age the true scoop of friendship.  After all, family is blood and those connections are complex, but ultimately a family's duty, loyalty, tolerance and love flows from being related.

A friend, however, can choose to walk away at any time and not look back.  The connection is based on that mysterious karma of simply liking another person. A tenuous thread that could snap at any time or strengthen over the years.

With the loss of my parents and no immediate family living close by, I've been blessed with circles of friends who are my family.  Some people I've been friends with for over a quarter of a century; others within the past year.  They're all precious; they all enrich my life beyond comprehension.

This fabric of my life is reflected in many of my books. The three law school friends in the Legal Weapons series who form a criminal defense law firm [Courting Danger, Courting Disaster, Courting Death]; Emma-Lee Dalton's relationship with her ailing college girlfriend in Chasing The Truth; and Gail Malloy's bond with Angela Rivera in Her Dark Protector.  Although the women may differ on many things, they have each other's back. They listen, give comfort or a kick when needed. For them friendship is thicker than blood or water.

Make new friends but keep the old.  What is your favorite story of friendship?

Carol