Follow Your Heart, Even When It Hurts
Henry sat next to Spencer for a long time, neither one of them saying much to each other. The two had been friends for decades. After a while, Henry stood, took his friend’s hand lightly in his own, and walked away without a word.
Henry quipped to his son who sat waiting in the adjacent room, “It was a good visit.”
Spencer was dying, and Henry had come to spend a few precious, final moments with his long-time friend.
Recently, I visited a friend who underwent a difficult surgery with a difficult recovery. He also lost a child eight months ago.
We reminisced. We laughed. Some tears were shed.
On a long run over a year ago, I broke down and wept on a friend’s shoulder. It was dark; still long before sunrise. For a moment, I let myself believe it was an awkward situation, but then I remembered who my friend is. He’s the type of man who gives so selflessly yet always wonders if he’s doing enough. For me, he’s a role model of what it means to serve others.
Most of my early morning runs with my friends are blended together in a medley of inseparable memories, but that morning is etched in my mind. Five minutes that won’t soon be forgotten.
Rare are the times when being there for someone else is the wrong thing to do. Small, simple…
