A Cup Of Comfort For Friends by Colleen Sell

I was at the Crossword book store last week. After I paid for my books and while I was waiting for the husband to finish his shopping, I picked up a copy of A Cup Of Comfort For Friends and browsed through it. 

The book is one of those anthology from various people's lives. I generally do not enjoy such books and would never read them twice. I still bought this one because I loved the introduction, a couple of things the author said and quoted in there. I'm going to use this blog to list out some of the things that stood out for me. 

Friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life - Thomas Jefferson


... we tend to squeeze each other into whatever slots are left over after the other people and responsibilities in our lives get their share.
Amazingly, our friends understand. They patiently wait their turn and graciously accept whatever time and attention we give them. They're always there when we need them, and they forgive us when we're slow to recognize their needs. Such is the nature of friendship--true friendships.


A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often--just to save it from drying out completely - author Pam Brown

Their gifts say that these lovely people love me. In the midst of their busy lives, they think of me. They've made the effort to know me, to reach out to me, to make memories with me--not out of dury or familial fate, but because they chose me. 


The story My Jar Of Self Esteem talks about a friend who helped another build her self-esteem by giving her a little jar with numerous notes telling her how she is special


The story In Praise Of Temporary Friends is about a woman who does not have any life-term friends but has learnt to appreciate all the ones that have been there while they have. 


I have always envied other women's friendships. It's not that I don't have any friends. I do. But I don't have a friend that I can call at four in the morning, who would hop on the next plane to come hold my hand through disasters great and small. I don't have a friend I've known for so many years I can't remember life without her. I don't have a friend who knows all my secrets. 


I can relate to this so well. Yet, as I read on, I realized that I was better off than her. I have had friends who have lasted me a couple of years atleast and been there for me when I needed them, kept my secrets and life was beautiful with them while they were with me. That doesn't change how I feel about friends forever. 


I wrote this blog a long while ago and forgot to post it. Am gonna post it now, without any changes. The book, while was a good read in the first few pages (to past half the book, actually), gets a little boring and dull later. It's not a repeatably readable one either. One of my give-away books.