Special Friends are priceless

My friend and I when we were babies.

Yesterday we received a parcel from a friend I've known since I was six weeks old. She's precious! A long-term friendship like that is full of ups and downs, times of closeness and times when you were further apart. But through it all God has blessed us both hugely!


I squirreled the parcel away when it arrived, knowing it was be fun to open it together at dinner time. I had no idea, though! Towards the end of the meal I casually said, "It looks like Dad's going to finish first, he gets the prize." 
Someone said, "What prize?" 
"The prize of opening the parcel that arrived today."

Oh my, you've never seen so much food eaten so quickly. Especially my 6 y.o., who had had half a plate of food left. Next minute I looked it was all gone!

But, they were right, it was a parcel worth getting excited about. She'd included one packet of sweet treasure for each person. One packet of specially flavoured Tim Tams for each parent, a packet of Mars Bars for our 12 y.o., a packet of Freddo Frogs for our 9 y.o., and a packet of jelly snakes for our 6 y.o.. No need to think about what we'd have for dessert last night!


In addition to that she'd included T-shirts for the boys. In Australian flag colours, with the words "Fair Dinkum Aussie". I had to explain that. (Fair Dinkum means true, genuine). And several other yummy treats. These will be great at our Australia Day party next week.


The present that is most special to me, though, is this small plaque with a poem. In case you cannot see it in the photo it reads:

A Special Friend
Friends are like angels who help us fly.
Friends give us hope as we reach for the sky.
Friends lend a hand as we dream and we plan.
Friends are the joy that makes each day grand.
You are a special friend and your friendship is a blessing to me.


Now that is a blessing. Thanks, dear friend!