Sometimes old friends are the best. They are in your life and remain in your life for a reason. Many years ago, back in the days when I was in college, majoring in psychology, (what was a thinking?), I volunteered for the Suicide and Crisis Hotline in San Bernardino. I wound up staying with the line for about ten years. It was there I met my dear friends Sue and Bettie.
Now Sue was the director and Bettie was one of the founders. Sue and I were at Cal State together. Sue "recruited" me for the hotline and of course I thought it would be great experience for someone who was at the time thinking of becoming a therapist specializing in personal growth. What I am sure I was thinking was "life coach" but that was long before that term was coined.
Anyway, Bettie and Sue are two of those people who are just there for you. They know how to listen and they do not judge. Sue deals well with crises and Bettie deals well with people on the brink. I have been both at one time or another. My personal knicknames of Crisis Sue and Suicide Bettie came about when I distinquish them from other Betties and Sues in my life. But truly, there is no one like either one of them. I cherish them both.
It is good to have people like these in your life. They just accept you and laugh with you and are life affirming. When we get together to laugh and sometimes a tear is shed, but not often. We love to giggle about the silliest things and it doesn't take much to set us off. And absolutely no subject is taboo. I don't think Bettie will object if I reveal that she will be 93 this year. Sue is about six years younger than I. It just shows age has nothing to do with anything when it comes to friends, true friends, friends for life.
Yesterday we spent the day at Bettie's home near the beach. Sue and I drive down to see her about once a month. On the way home I became a little wistful. With a milestone birthday of my own approaching this summer, I wondered if my life had amounted to much. I never acheived those airy dreams of my youth, but I did survive them. Sue turned to me and said, "You have affected many lives for the better, my friend. You probably will never know." I thought to myself, now that is a true friend. Both Bettie and Sue (who do read this blog) have contributed to the welfare and betterment of so many people around them, I sit in awe. To have them as friends is a blessing beyond imagination. That is what life is really about.
Now Sue was the director and Bettie was one of the founders. Sue and I were at Cal State together. Sue "recruited" me for the hotline and of course I thought it would be great experience for someone who was at the time thinking of becoming a therapist specializing in personal growth. What I am sure I was thinking was "life coach" but that was long before that term was coined.
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It is good to have people like these in your life. They just accept you and laugh with you and are life affirming. When we get together to laugh and sometimes a tear is shed, but not often. We love to giggle about the silliest things and it doesn't take much to set us off. And absolutely no subject is taboo. I don't think Bettie will object if I reveal that she will be 93 this year. Sue is about six years younger than I. It just shows age has nothing to do with anything when it comes to friends, true friends, friends for life.
Yesterday we spent the day at Bettie's home near the beach. Sue and I drive down to see her about once a month. On the way home I became a little wistful. With a milestone birthday of my own approaching this summer, I wondered if my life had amounted to much. I never acheived those airy dreams of my youth, but I did survive them. Sue turned to me and said, "You have affected many lives for the better, my friend. You probably will never know." I thought to myself, now that is a true friend. Both Bettie and Sue (who do read this blog) have contributed to the welfare and betterment of so many people around them, I sit in awe. To have them as friends is a blessing beyond imagination. That is what life is really about.
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