Springtime is always busy in a school system as there always things to finish up, decisions on how far to push the subject matter, control of summer anxious student etc. When one teaches in two differing systems as I do the tension can mount without being really noticeable. However it is there in the system lurking and awaiting release which can be totally fury or funny. Last night two younger friends( and I feel I can call them that despite age differences) and I had a coffee session full of giggles, silliness, and some serious talk. When I was reading in bed, I realized how much more relaxed I was or had been for days.Somehow the inner tightly wound and submerged coil of tension had been released.

Friendship is that often for a group. It is where tension is released. One can vent in safety if need be or one can( and I believe it is healthier) laugh freely about things and with each other. Private jokes and punch lines emerge that once uttered set off a storm of giggles and the tension flows out of its lurking place. balance is restored and the world is easier to face.

But friendship is more than that. It is support for another human. A simple hello and a smile can alter one's entire day. A prayer given when asked for shows support in a time of need. The blessing is that doing these simple things does not require much effort and yet they make huge differences and they do not even require that the friendship be a deep abiding kinship.

All of us need such simple gestures in our lives. They make us feel valued and worthwhile. We also need those deeper friendships that evolve after years of sharing and caring. These are the relationships that endure despite age, race, gender, and distance. They are there in periods of both despair and joy; they are there when we need to be brought up short and when we need to be praised. they are the rocks we can cling to when the waters are rough and the sun that can shine on us in the calmer tides of our life.

Some these thought s may seem like platitudes but they are sincere. I am thankful for those relationships in my life and I am richer because of them. So thank you giggle partners for the laughter last night. I did not know how much I needed it. Hope you felt the release too.