The Right Friends at the Right Time

Sometimes you don’t even know who your friends are. Oh sure, you know the friends who smile and say “How’s it goin’?” at work, every day. And you know the other, old friends who don’t call you anymore because you are a world away from them, every day.

Then, on a day you’d rather call out than show up, a coworker welcomes you back with a quick hug and a kiss on the top of your head. And you realize, wow, there’s a friend I didn’t even know I had at this new place. And you half smile at this and acknowledge the perfect timing.

And after you’ve worked 10 hours–and you’ve only really seen your kid for a half hour, even though he was home for three days, because he managed to carve out time for a half-hour lunch at your restaurant en route to the airport to go back to school–and you are thinking that maybe you need more wine than food for dinner, that something wonderful happens. A really good friend magically, unexpectedly appears.

Just when you need him most.

And you hug and kiss, and you hug some more. And he plunks down a huge bag of cat food that he’s just bought next door, places his carryout order at the podium, and then sits down at your table.

And you compare war stories and gossip and hug again. For a few minutes you laugh at memories of the way you used to work a floor together, and then you marvel together at the way you really worked that floor, and you find yourself saying to him that you are in a place you always wanted to be, but that you miss him, your friend.

And he tells you about his gig and how good it is, although he adds how it is not without the usual dysfunction. But he likes it and adds how well you’d do where he is, even though the job he has in mind for you doesn’t yet exist there. But how it could happen, someday.

And there you are, thinking, yeah, someday. But today’s okay, because you are learning more than you ever thought you could or would, in a restaurant job. And he says, yeah, it seems like you are. You seem like you are doing great.

And we hugged and we kissed again. And I realized again how much I so needed to see him on this night. Was so thankful that I did.

All is good. All is okay. It was simply made better by seeing the right friend at just the right time.