A Pear-Colored Pitcher

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship." -Thomas Aquinas 

Even if the flower is no more, still the fragrance can be." -Jaggi Vasudev

Another dear friend is moving away.

Sigh.

It's a part of life, isn't it, this ebb and flow of people into and out of our lives, going here and there as their lives call them on.

I truly believe that my role as a friend is to embrace these leavings, to celebrate whatever is calling my friend forward, to look with hope and anticipation on this new journey.

And I do. For this friend, as with all the others who have moved, I wish her blessings and happiness and all the very best. 

And while it's not easy to be the one moving on, it's also difficult to be the one left behind. To feel this person's absence, the place where she used to be, most acutely. 

Especially when this is a friend with whom you have shared some deep, dangerous waters; some difficult seasons of life. A friend to whom you have revealed your troubles and your vulnerabilities and your fears, a person who has revealed the same to you. 

When that kind of a friend pulls up tent stakes and moves on, she leaves a big hole behind. 

Oh, but of course, we can stay in touch. Digital options abound and we will stay in touch. Probably even visit one another from time to time.

Of course.

But it will never be the same, and that's just the truth.

I remind myself that some friendships improve over distance and time, and there is every reason to believe that my friend and I will grow closer as years pass.

There is every reason to anticipate joy.

As she has been sorting through her treasures and packing up boxes, my friend came across a ceramic pitcher and gave it to me yesterday as a remembrance. It's the perfect shade of a fresh green pear. I brought it home and filled it with fresh hydrangea blossoms from my backyard, and now it sits on my kitchen table.

This sweet gift from my friend will always remind me that even though life is ever changing, the fragrance of our friendship is ours to savor forever.