The Wind In The Trees

As the soft breeze passes through the treetops it promises to be gentle and asks only that the trees allow their leaves to whisper softly as the wind continues on its journey. The synergy between the wind and the trees is as old as time itself. My oldest friend derived such pleasure listening to the sound of the wind weaving its way through the branches and leaves and believed the trees and the wind were friends.

Good friends are very hard to find. The mixture of two dissimilar personalities and characteristics most often marks a casual acquaintance rather than a true and lasting friendship. There is absolutely no way to foresee how, and if, a brief encounter will progress beyond the first meeting.

Many years ago when I was young and entering the middle part of my life I met a young lady. At first it seemed as though we had nothing in common and the more we talked the more that seemed to be the case. But there was some intangible connection between us that led to future encounters.

We found that the dissimilarities between us were the things that brought us together. The friendship grew and we knew we would become best friends. There were times when we argued and times when the friendship was strained to its limits but the friendship continued.

When her life was hard and sadness engulfed her, we talked. She always knew she had a friend that would listen and comfort her. I, in turn, knew I could always count on her to be there for me.

My friend asked so little of me. She asked only for kindness, respect, understanding and love. In return she gave me everything. She gave me a shoulder to lean on and she promised to share her lifetime with me. Over the years we became closer than can be described and we shared our innermost feelings with one another knowing they would be kept secret.

Best friends make promises to each other. She promised to be my friend for life. I promised to be her friend, protect her and keep her safe. My dearest friend kept her word and for most of my life continued to be my best and oldest friend. I, on the other hand, did not keep my promise to her and failed to keep her safe.

I have apologized to my oldest friend so many times for breaking my promise to protect her, but I never hear her words of forgiveness. I find that all the excuses I give myself for not keeping my word don't permit me to forgive myself, so how can I expect my friend to forgive me. I am so ashamed and assume full responsibility for my failure and the resulting consequences must be accepted.

I often talk to my oldest friend and tell her about my life. I remind her of our long-lasting relationship and ask how she is, but she ignores my words and never speaks to me. Sometimes I think I'll stop talking to her, however I know I can't do that. I talk to her more often at night when everything seems so quiet and still.

When the long day becomes weary it sends the sun away to rest. Near the end of the day the darkness begins to envelop the sky and the birds refuse to fly. I watch in amazement each evening as the night sky prepares to adorn itself with the magnificent splendor of the moon and the stars. It is then I talk to my oldest and dearest friend about the wind in the trees.

Editor's Note -- This article was published previously, but inadvertently the final few paragraphs were omitted.