Musings Gratitude Day 21

Today I am grateful for friends who loved Lawrence

“Don’t walk in front of me… I may not follow

Don’t walk behind me… I may not lead

Walk beside me… just be my friend”

― Albert Camus

Where would we be without friends?

Shared history, moments in time, sentinel events.

Lawrence had many friends. Everyone he met was a friend, but few were forever-friends. He sparkled. People were drawn to him, his energy, his larger-than-life personality, his magic, his wit, sarcasm, sense of adventure, and zest for life.

When things got hard, his true friends stuck like glue.

LS called him, regularly. They talked about everything. The mundane, their ills, their wives, their lives. Star Trek, Star Wars, everything. Just everything. Larry I and Larry II. These two did so many things together through the years that to attempt to write them all down would fill a library of volumes. I know that I only heard part of the stories, and never ‘the rest of the story.’ He valued LII’s friendship, and the feeling was mutual. After my Larry died, LII called me regularly to check up on me, especially in the beginning. He told me stories of my Larry that I hadn’t heard, or if I had, I wanted to hear over and over. He and his wife T have become cherished friends.

LS (female) another of my Larry’s friends who has become a cherished friend of mine. We talk regularly. LS- he always wanted to get in your pants. Just sayin. 😉

There were friends who slipped away, then came back. Like DO and TM. Lawrence was so happy to mend fences near the end. He had many stories of adventures with these two.

There were friends from work, fraternal organizations, online friends, always on the periphery. We never went anywhere that he didn’t see someone he knew.

There were friends across the country from his many trips.

There were friends like AS and JB. Newer friends whom he cherished.

Other friends AS (female) brought in the Rabbi who helped Larry immensely and arranged the funeral and also with LVS the shiva.

One of Lawrence’s friends shared this with me:

“Larry was a friend’s friend. Someone I could talk to, share life with. Quick with a laugh. A really smart guy who loved sharing his adventures. We would talk endlessly about places we had been and experiences we shared. We so enjoyed talking and sharing about Masons, Shriners, and our Korvettes and parades. I always looked forward to Larry’s next one-liner. He had many.

We shared our faith with each other honestly and empathically, he Jewish, me Christian. We loved each other as people first.

All the way to the end we had a special relationship. He was my friend, and I loved him. We relied on each other.

—JB

Friends, friends, friends.

Friends laugh with us

We share each joy

and sorrows

experience each other’s pain

and help carry the burdens.

They sit on the bench in silence.

Friends are more valuable than gold.

Hang on to them.

They are the glue that holds us together.

357 XO Lisa