Friends, enemies and shadows

I've had a lovely time in recent weeks catching up with old friends. "Old" means both age and years of friendship! A wide variety of friends over a long span of years is a great gift. Something I heard or read as a young person has often come back to mind: you won't have all your needs met by any one person. For me that was, and is, a liberating truth. So I celebrate the three friends I have had time with recently:

Dawn (left) and I have had many holidays together in Australia and New Zealand. We first met about 20 years ago when Dawn came on Sabbatical to BCNZ when I was teaching there.

Robyn (top) and I also met at BCNZ when we were both students there in 1970. We have stayed friends ever since even though separated geographically for most of the time. Robyn in Haiti and me in Nigeria. Even in NZ we live at opposite ends of the country Oamaru and Orewa!

Pauline (lower) and I met in the context of our mutual spiritual direction roles when she lived in Auckland. I'm not exactly sure how many years ago we first met but probably close to 20 years!

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PS or Coda (or something!)

This morning in Richard Rohr's daily meditation I read a quote that prompted the title of this Post. It made me think about another kind of friendship - befriending/loving even those we might think of as enemies - whether external or internal:

"I cannot destroy the other without destroying myself.

I must embrace my enemy just as much as I must welcome my own shadow.

Both acts take real and lasting courage."

In our current climate of so much fear, destruction and anguish, genuine friends are a wonderful gift. Friendship with so called 'enemies' within and without may be even more important to our survival.