About Me

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Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Monday, August 22, 2011

F is for Friendship

On Sunday I reached a milestone. Not only was it the anniversary of the death of my husband, but I've now not been married longer than I was married. It was a strange feeling and for a little while I was a bit weepy. The past 19 years have been quite a journey raising my daughters, working full time, buying and selling homes, moving hundreds of miles away to teach school in a wilderness area, and finding out that most of my so-called "friends" turned away from me because of my situation.

However, other people came into my life to become new friends and now they are old friends, people I can trust and rely on to be there for me no matter what. I have 75 friends on my Facebook page and 74 people have signed up to "follow" my blog. So, I consider myself lucky to have that many people who think that I'm worthy of being their friend. Today I'm dedicating my poem to all my friends, near and far as well as to those I haven't met face to face yet.


FRIENDSHIP

Friendship is the yellow of marigolds.
It looks like radiant double rainbows.
It sounds like “girls just wanna have fun.”
It smells like a fresh baked cinnamon bun.
It tastes like pineapple dripping off our chins.
It feels like huge hugs after our team wins.
Friendship is a gilded thread uniting two souls.


(Photo taken at Bear Creek Park, Saturday, August 20)


Special thanks to Denise Nesbitt for creating ABC Wednesday and for asking me to be part of her "team" in keeping it going. I feel like everyone who participates each week is also a friend to whom I now give a virtual hug!

29 comments:

nancygrayce said...

Glad to be your friend! I imagine the weepy day you just needed!

Trubes said...

Thank you for being my friend too Leslie, My PC is my lifeline, I like you have made so many friens via blogging and FB. So called friends of mine. turned their backs on me too, when I divorced my first husband...I don't care about them Leslie, they're worth nothing, let alone your friendship. I hope you feel like that too...Anyway, I'm delighted to be your friend...

Di..xx

Roger Owen Green said...

Yeah, it's always weird when things that used to define you are further away than the subsequent period. I have more than a few.

BTW, great (and EARLY) intro, though the music link is blocked in the US - drat!

Powell River Books said...

Thanks for calling me a new friend. I enjoy watching and reading your blog. - Margy

photowannabe said...

Friends tried and true are the best.
Most of those I called my best friends growing up left me too. We just were't on the same page any longer.
As you said, my "new" friends are my "old" friends and I wouldn't trade them for anything.
The closing line of your poem says it all. Beautiful!
I count you as a wonderful Blogging Friend too.

Sylvia K said...

Beautiful words, lovely thoughts and a wonderful post for the F Day -- or any day really! Friendship is such an important part of all of our lives! Hope you have a great week, Leslie!

Sylvia

Jo said...

You have lots of friends, Leslie, and I'm glad to be counted amongst them. :-) (Among them? You're the teacher ~~ which one is correct? *heh*)

Reader Wil said...

Thanks for this poem about friendship. Friendship is necessary to stay happy and alive.

Carver said...

Great post about friendship. I know it must be hard to have lost your husband when you were such a young family.

Francisca said...

There's a lot of truth to the adage, some are friends for a season, others are friends for a reason, and few friends are for life. Now we can add blogging friends. Fab F post, Leslie!

Kay L. Davies said...

Your poem is lovely, Leslie. I love the "cinnamon bun" part.
— K

Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

EG CameraGirl said...

A thoughtful post about friendship, Leslie.And congratulations for having passed the 19-year mark. It's funny how those marks on our timelines really mean a lot to us, but they do. I said congratulations because usually it's a good thing when it happens to me. I hope it was good for you too.

Berowne said...

Nicely written, meaningful poem...

Penelope Notes said...

You created beautiful analogies in your poem to express friendship. Noticing the bug on the marigold picture also made me wonder what friendship would be like without forgiving. People can disappoint and mar a relationship but when they are there for you in the joyful and tough moments … it is a special kind of blessing.

Chubskulit Rose said...

You're such an inspiration Leslie. Imagine those years you traveled, raising your daughter alone must be so challenging and yet you did it.

Mom's Place said...

Oh I love the poem Leslie. I was married for 15 years, and now separated for 10 years, raising my kids on my own. I bet I can also do like what you did. You are an inspiration, Leslie. Happy ABC Wed.

Cheryl said...

And a big cyberhug right back atcha.

Beautiful poem. A sad yet uplifting milestone. Keep walking on.

Tumblewords: said...

Friends, flowers and fun - a fine combination! Excellent poem.

Hildred said...

A beautiful poem on Friendship, Leslie, - life leaves us in some sad predicaments sometimes and I admire you for overcoming so successfully. Old friends may abandon us, but there are always new friends who will open their hearts to us.

Paula Scott Molokai Girl Studio said...

That is so true-when the going gets rough (or uncomfortable), you really find out who your friends are. A chronic illness separates the friends from the acquaintances, that's for sure!

Unknown said...

That poem is beautiful. Friends are a blessing in life. Sometimes I feel like I am friendless as I grow older. I miss them.

I am sorry for the loss of your husband. I can not even imagine how sad that must have been.

Unknown said...

P.S. I am follower #75 : )

MaR said...

Fantastic choice for the letter F! cheers for friends!

PS: the house has a shape of an iron, so it is not narrow all the way!
f is for...

Kim, USA said...

HUH???? They are not "friends" they are just acquaintances. Leslie you are one of the bloggers that I look up too. Good to find you here in blog land. Don't mind these so called "friends" of yours they did not see your true you. You are gorgeous I tell yah!!! ^_^ Love the poem and I like that yellow flower too. ^_^ Happy Wednesday!
ABC Wed

ChrisJ said...

Funny how friendship has become more important to me as I've got older. Always had close friends when I was growing up. Now friends move away or pass on and I look around and wonder who will be my next best friend. I don't usually have more than one or two at a time.

Smalltown RN said...

I'm glad to call you my friend...we may only have connection through blogging, but we have shared a lot over the years. I have enjoyed watching how your photography skills have flourished,and how you seem to have mastered this blogging formatting thingy which I still don't have a handle on.

Your poem is lovely....hugs my friend!

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

Today is yellow day here in New Zealand. We celebrte daffodil day to support Cancer awareness. I forgot because I was going away, so I bought a daffodil . It is still very cold and tonight I fly to earth quake freezng cold Christchurch.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

A lovely poem, Leslie and I am proud to be your friend.

Cuby said...

I am so glad I came back to find you after two or three years of no blogging as KISSA I have resurfaced as thecubypoet.I feel that it was auspiscious that it was today that I found you again. Friends who turn their backs when you need them aren't proper friends and although at the time it is hard to think like this but you are better off without them. Their loss afer all. As a new returning friend I hope that I can consider myself one after all. LOL :)Claire