Books by the old Leather Chair

  • Snow In The Summer
  • My Bible
  • The Power of Silence
  • What Comes Next and to Like It
  • Encore Provence
  • A Year in Provence

Saturday, September 19, 2009

To a Friend

You entered my life in a casual way,
And saw at a glance what I needed;
There were others who passed me or met me each day,
But never a one of them heeded.
Perhaps you were thinking of other folks more,
Or chance simply seemed to decree it;
I know there were many such chances before,
But the others --- well, they didn't see it.

You said just the thing that I wished you would say,
And you made me believe you meant it;
I held up my head in the old gallant way,
And resolved you should never repent it.
There are times when encouragement means such a lot,
And a word is enough to convey it;
There are others who could have, as easy as not --
But, just the same, they didn't say it.

There may have been someone who could done more
To help me along, though I doubt it;
What I needed was cheering, and always before
They had let me plod onward without it.
You helped to refashion the dream of my heart,
And made me turn eagerly to it;
There were others who might have (I question that part) --
But, after all, they didn't do it!

Grace Strickler Dawson from the book "Friendship"
Compiled by Ralph L. Woods

2 comments:

Cloudhands said...

What a lovely tribute to friendship. Hopefully we have all had a friend who responded and encouraged us just at the right time. And,also hopefully we have had the chance to be that friend to others. I remember at my mothers funeral several women came up to me and told me how much my mother meant to then and at least five said mother had been their best friend. She had a gift for extending friendship that I can only aspire to copy.

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Cloudhands, this Friendship book is dated 1978. I try to put a date in a book when it is one of my favorites. Your mothers sounds like a special person. Thanks for visiting and have a good day.