Make New Friends, But Keep the Old...

At my son's Pre-K graduation, while standing in his miniature cap and gown, surrounded by the children he's known since he was 10 months old, "Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other gold," was sung by melodic 5 year old voices.  There he was, standing next to children who had become like brothers and sisters to him, and I wondered if he understood the meaning of the words to that little song.

I've been thinking about the "gold" friendships, the ones that stay true through the passing of time.  We are blessed with many people who come and go throughout our lives, most of whom making our lives that much better for it.  It is, however, the few "gold" friends - the ones who are there for the marathon rather than the periodic sprint - that we hold closest to our hearts.  These are the people that know us best...and love us anyway. :)

Little Man is very lucky to be going to Kindergarten with several of his best buddies from Pre-K.  Thanks to this, the transition to school, at least so far, has been a pretty smooth one.  From the bus to the classroom to all things new...these little peanuts seem to have each other's backs.  It's been a great start!  Our little Kinder, however, is also very aware of the friends who are not with him everyday anymore.  He often asks about them, and sometimes talks as though he will be seeing them the next day - and then remembers that he won't.  This is the first experience he's had with this inevitable part of growing up.

Fast-forward to this past Saturday.  One of our son's best buddies, whom he had not seen in over a week (as they are now in different school districts), was going to be coming with his family to dinner that night. Of course, to us a week is no time at all, but to two little boys who, to my best recollection, haven't been apart that long in over 4 years, it's a lifetime.  Excitement filled our home as Little Man chattered away all day about what he and his friend would be doing.  He could not wait for 4:00 to come; it was much like the agonizing wait for Christmas morning!  Finally, there was the knock on the door.  It opened, and on the other side was a little boy who had felt the same way.  There was a celebratory exchange of screeches, and away they went, as though no time had past at all.

Watching them laugh and play, I couldn't help but hope that this might prove to be a "gold" friendship - the start of the marathon that will be a lasting bond for these boys.  In my life, I have been blessed with a few "gold" friends and each of them is a cherished treasure.  Just knowing that, no matter what milestones I want to celebrate or obstacles I need to face in my personal marathon, I am never running alone is a kind of comfort that has gotten me through the most challenging of times.  That is my wish for my son and his friends.  May they find many treasures in their new adventures...and may a few of them be "gold."