March 9, 2009 – One of the fascinating things about my life and work is that I never know which subject or entry or photo will touch people. Often, the things that interest me fall flat, and the things I produce  or photograph casually touch a nerve.
  My writing about friendship was such a post, and one of the responses that stood out was from Marjorie, who appreciated friendship in a particular way. She just lost a friend she met the first day of their first year in  high school and have been close friends ever since, over 72 years ago.
   She was Marjorie’s maid of honor at her wedding during World War II, was by her side when her first husband was killed in an automobile accident, and she was present in return when her friend’s husband became ill and died.
  “There was always a hug when we came and went and often an “I love you” before we said goodbye after phone calls. We never argued even when we disagreed and had many, many, good times. I’ve always said ‘try to remember the good things and fun times with friends or family now gone,'” but it still hurts, she says, and “I know it will take time to practice what I preach.”
  “Wouldn’t you say that was a special friendship?”, she asked.
   Yes, Marjorie, I would. It’s a lesson too. Time is precious. It is very easy to be drawn into the whirlpool of bad and anxious news, gloomy and pessimistic people, and the culture of whining and complaint that permeates life.
  Marjorie seems to have a grip on what is important. I am working on that. I am blessed. I have work I love. I have a person I love. I have a daughter that I love, and a sister, dogs and my farm,  friends that have held me up through some dark waters. Reading Marjorie’s wonderful message, I will put the camera down, get off the computer, and call everyone one of them and tell them that I love them, and I appreciate them, and I cherish the time we will spend together. No stock market or IRA could come close to measuring up to what Marjorie wrote about, and thanks to her for that.