That’s What Friends are For

On By Terri Webster SchrandtIn blogging
Girlfriends
Windsurf Buddies. Proud to be their friend.

I have always believed that I was rich… in my social relationships.

Humans are designed to build social capital, “ the network of social connections that exist between people, and their shared values and norms of behavior, which enable and encourage mutually advantageous social cooperation.” (Dictionary.com)

The photo above embodies my recent relationships I have built in the last five years.

In this photo, you see four amazingly talented windsurfers. The woman on the far left, me, is still learning this difficult sport. Each of these women has been windsurfing for over 20 years. They all have amazing stories, from currently raising young children to building and owning her own home in Baja.

Each of these women have helped me with my windsurfing journey. One bad day sailing a downwinder, I couldn’t do anything but swim with my gear. I had been thrown around and was exhausted. Two of these gals were walking along the levy, saw me struggling, and called out various tricks to help me, to no avail, but they tried.

The gal on the far right is in her 60s and is remarkably talented in many ways, in addition to windsurfing. She opened her home to me and my hubbie in Baja, and let us use her windsurf gear. This allowed me to sail for several days which improved my skills dramatically.

The brunette in the middle has helped me countless times with suggestions. Last summer when I sailed in the area with all the other windsurfers, I hung in there. Of course I went down several times. As she sailed by, she slowed down and asked if I was OK. That was amazing! Several of these same ladies did the same thing in the course of the entire 30 minutes (seemed like forever).

Again, I have to thank social networking for assisting me with cultivating my relationships. If it wasn’t for Facebook, I would not be happily married to the man I knew in high school. I found an estranged childhood friend from San Diego on Facebook where we converse daily. I even lost a friend because of Facebook!

All that aside, I am blessed with a variety of groups of friends:

Those friends from my church, some I have known since 1986!
Those friends from high school, some who live in my community 500 miles north of where our high school resides.
Those friends from the delta—my windsurf family.
Those friends who are now family as a result of my marriage, who live in Chile, Germany and other exotic locales.
Those friends whom I met on Facebook as a result of a random online game, who I now count as real friends.
Those friends whose children were friends with my children and now can be called friends of mine.
Those friends who I knew from work and even after I retired, still count them as irreplaceable.
Those friends from graduate school, with whom I am connected in many ways.
Those friends who were former students who became my friend on social media.

And last but not least, those friends whom I have met on WordPress…my fellow bloggers with whom I feel connected by intellect and a love for writing and other passions.

Enjoy your friends. Relationships come and go. As we get older, we start losing our friends to eternity. I heard yesterday someone I went to junior high with passed away.

Time is precious. And so are our friends.

15 thoughts on “That’s What Friends are For”

  1. This is great; when I was in my 30, even 40s, I did not value friendships. Now that I am almost 60 I see how friends are more important than earning an extra buck–if I have to choose between seeing an old friend or putting in more hours at work, i choose the old friend. Money can only buy you a meal once, but a friend may buy you a meal time and time again if you really need it. And even better, a friend will fill your spiritual huger every time you connect with them, something that money can never do, no matter how much you pile up.

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  2. All so true. I’m only 36 and have still lost a few friends over the years (all by accident or their own hands, sadly). Still more do battle with scary diseases and live with chronic conditions as a result.

    Every time I connect with another human being I cherish it – including those I only know through text-based networking. As a non-religious person, this is immortality to me: my influence will live on for generations to come, with every person whose life I touch. It’s pretty humbling when you think about it…

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  5. LifestyleswithLia

    What an uplifting post! The women in the photo (including you) are such strong and amazing people! I think windsurfing in itself seems like a sport for those who are determined, enthusiastic about life, and tenacious! And cheers to your wonderful friendships and relationships that have been cultivated thanks to social media, including your blog!

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  6. I invite you all to my blog site and to look at friendships I have had. So much has been written about friends–boy/girl, friend-girls, and “that’s what friends are for.” memoriesofatime WHAT A NICE LISTING, TERRI! My high school yearbook is being annotated too often with “R.I.P” alongside a friend’s picture.

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  8. I don’t know where I’d be without my friends – both old and new. Your post reminds me of a realization I’ve had since I retired 9 months ago: many of the friends I had at work were “friends of proximity.” Friends, for sure, but not ones that have lasted past my retirement. We just have different lives and time schedules now. The ones that have continued are my “friends of the heart.” For whatever wonderful reason, we clicked and, I hope, we will remain friends for many years to come.

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  9. That photos does the heart and soul good , such beautiful happy smiling women obviously so happy in each other’s company , thank you for sharing ,I have a smile from ear to ear just looking at it; this photo reminds me how happy I have been in the company of friends.

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