Water-proof friendships

Living on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean presents its challenges, here and there. Some days I can’t find my favorite brand of tart cherry juice because the shelves haven’t been restocked. And what about green onions that I once called scallions. Where are they when I need them?

The list gets longer and more serious. When you live on a land mass that juts out of a sea, friendships can take their hits. But not the water resistant kind that touch our toes like distance isn’t a care.

So this doesn’t mean that all friendships can stay alive after how many years… Lately, I’ve noticed that some fly over the wet divide and are impervious to a very long nap. Some friendships just like to bake under the sun until a sensational new book or some chewy news wakes them up.

Take my two Capricorn pals, born 1/16, one year apart, sleeping under rocks until a cruise ship stop awoke one connection and “The Gifted School” and a delicious first grandchild perked up the other. Who says silence suffocates caring connections … It had been decades since one of the Caps explored Europe with me and more years since I convinced another to hitch hike to Princeton with me, long, long ago. Dormant friendships are friendships in waiting.

I am devoted to two Libran (10/15) friends: one who keeps shedding sequential personal descriptions and ends up in Switzerland with her new charge and the other an indomitable people-lover who fights a major disease and always ends up the champ. Our attraction to shared conclusions never wears out. And I will never forget another wonderful Libran (10/4) friend who listens to every detail and weighs them out to spotlight new possibilities.

It makes me smile that I have friends born the same day who sing different tunes. And I have an Aries pal (4/13) with lots of energy to run and years past we carved schooling paths for our onlies on their way. Then words grew invisible but now every birthday we fill our screens, even though our thoughts are muted most of the other time. Our tie endures. It always does.

They say friendships come and friendships go, but it isn’t true. Light a match and the solid ones sit up straight. Just like my 2/20 pal who’s always there when you need a friend to be near. Water-proof and wise as ever.