THE RICHES OF FRIENDSHIP, OLD AND NEW

As is my habit at the end of each year and approaching of the new one, I have been doing a lot of meditating and reflecting on the way things are, the way they have been, and the way I hope they will be in the future. This has been colored dramatically this year by the loss of my closest friend, Susannah, reported here in the previous edition.

I went through the grieving, denial, anger phases very quickly, and now have focused on the important lessons I have learned, and noticing the huge gap in my life with her absence.
I wrote about some of this on my prosperity blog:

http://moneyloveblog.com/important-stuff-from-an-unexpected-source/


A comment on that post from Kristine Baker summed up two contradictory qualities Susannah brought to the table that are rare to find in a single person, let alone a friend. She was very traditional, stable, and consistent in many ways--someone you could really depend on to say what she meant and do what she said she was going to do. But she was also one of the most spontaneous and adventurous people I've known. Kristine wrote:

I've been a fan of yours for many years having read your book MoneyLove a long time ago and taking valuable lessons from it. I also have known Susannah in Santa Fe for the past few years through our mutual soprano voices. I would say she was a rock! and a hoot! I'm very glad to have known her.

I just had the thought that maybe I should have titled this post, A Rock And A Hoot!

But also, as I feel the gap that is left, I appreciate even more the friendships that are still here, ever more precious to me now. I talked in my early book, FRIENDS: The Power And Potential Of The Company You Keep, about what the friends you choose can reveal about you and how important this aspect of one's life is. I think of friends I've had for a long time, people with whom I've shared many joys, triumphs, and even some sorrow. Rupa, Mary Ann, Rachel, Gregg, Bonnie. Shared memories have a lot to do with my affection for these friends, but their continuing presence in my life is what I treasure most--as you are no doubt well aware, not all friends hold up so well in the test of time.

But since my release from prison, two very special men have come into that circle of dear friends. Barry Dunlop, big Moneylove fan and successful Internet entrepreneur, who has been a major supporter and mentor in some profound and remarkable ways. And Tony Busse, who has also added much to my still-on-parole limited lifestyle. Barry has taught me a lot about the possibilities and potential of reconnecting with my Moneylove audience online. Tony has painted the wonders of Panama so vividly that I am determined to make it one of my first stops on my post-parole travels in nine months. Both have offered valuable insight and feedback for my re-emerging efforts, and both have made the past year richer and more fulfilling than it would have been otherwise.

So as I celebrate and commemorate the passing of one remarkable friend, so do I also give a prayer of thanks for the arrival of new friends into my life. In this holiday season, counting my old and new friends as my blessings, their presence is the best present of all.

Jerry