Contributors

Friendship from a

Scientific Point of View

The laws of physics also apply to psychology. The

Law of Inertia says that a body at rest is harder to

move than one that is already in motion. Therefore,

if you rarely see friends, it is going to be harder to

have friends. However, once you make being with

friends a priority, enjoying all the wonderful aspects

of friendship will become much easier. One friend,

new or old, leads to connections to other friends.

According to the laws of physics, the more in need

of friends you are, the more energy you will have to

put into the process of connecting with people. The

rewards from putting in this extra effort will be well

worth it.

Adapted from Dr. Ruth Westheimer

contributed by Sandy Blaesing

ABC's of Friendship

A Friend--
(A)ccepts you as you are
(B)elieves in "you"
(C)alls you just to say "HI"
(D)oesn't give up on you
(E)nvisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts)
(F)orgives your mistakes
(G)ives unconditionally
(H)elps you
(I)nvites you over
(J)ust enjoys being with you
(K)eeps you close at heart
(L)oves you for who you are
(M)akes a difference in your life
(N)ever Judges
(O)ffers support
(P)icks you up
(Q)uiets your fears
(R)aises your spirits
(S)ays nice things about you
(T)ells you the truth when you need to hear it
(U)nderstands you
(V)alues you
(W)alks beside you
(X)-plain things you don't understand
(Y)ells when you won't listen a
(Z)aps you back to reality

A Friend Indeed

By Betty Stinar Swisher

Where was I when trouble blocked her way?

Was I mindful, open to her cry,

Or deaf and caught up in my full day

Leaning on my nature not to pry?

Where was I when gossip spread like fire?

Did I attempt to smother the flames,

Or thrust the slander deeper in mire

With snide, foolish talk peppered with names?

Where was I when she felt total dispair?

Was I there with empathy and hope

or turn away, pompous and with flair.

Offering my agenda with what I had to cope.

Oh, our lives speed on to heaven's gates

Regrets? Of course. If I had only....

My face is hidden. My sad heart breaks,

Is there time? Rid myself of just me?

Might I then, watching from a safe place

Listen to stillness only I hear,

Catch words unspoken, a masked face

With open arms and gladly be there.

Remembering the Importance of Sisterhood

Sometimes I believe that as women, we forget

the importance of the sisterhood we all share. Recently I was invited to a “Women’s Night” at a friend’s house. There were just five of us. We all brought healthy dishes, and there was a bit of wine.

The group consisted of all college graduates, and we all had been involved in interesting jobs

throughout our lives. But our paths are very different now. One young woman is just going through a hard divorce. Another one is still getting over a hard split. Two of us are involved in solid relationships, and one is a breast cancer survivor of four years. She has the most upbeat attitude of anybody I have ever known and can make you laugh in a minute flat. The discussions were serious, funny, political, and sometimes, downright silly. The warmth was so apparent.

Love can come and go as can money and even health.

However, the love of friends can get us through anything, and I am blessed to have people in my life that I can call sisters. I never had a biological sister, but boy, I have a few sisters of the heart! As long as we have real friendships, we can get through anything because a friend is always there when you need her.

Author—Julie Rosenbaum-Engelhardt

Submitted by Debbie Taylor

"RETARDED" GRANDPARENTS ......…
Written by a third grader, on what his grandparents do.
After Christmas, a teacher asked her young pupils how
they spent their holiday away from school. One child
wrote the following:

We always used to spend the holidays with Grandma
and Grandpa. They used to live in a big brick house with
a dog and kitty, but Grandpa got retarded and they
moved to Arizona . Now they live in a tin box and have
rocks painted green to look like grass and no pets allowed.
They ride around on their bicycles, and wear
name tags, because they don't know who they are anymore.
They go to a building called a wreck center, but
they must have got it fixed because it is all okay now,
they do exercises there, but they don't do them very well.
There is a swimming pool too, but they all jump up and
down in it with hats on. At their gate, there is a doll
house with a little old man sitting in it. He watches all
day so nobody can escape. Sometimes they sneak out,
and go cruising in their golf carts. Nobody there cooks,
they just eat out. And they eat the same thing every
night - early birds. Some of the people can't get out past
the man in the little doll house. The ones who do get out,
bring food back to the wrecked center for pot luck. My
Grandma says that Grandpa worked all his life to earn
his retardment and; says I should work hard so I can be
retarded someday too.
When I earn my retardment, I want to be the man in the
doll house. Then I will let people out, so they can visit
their grandchildren.
Submitted by Sandy Blaesing, Author Unknown

New Neighbors League of Kansas City