goodbyes, blessings and carrying on

 YOU"VE GOT A FRIEND by James Taylor

When you're down and troubled
and you need a helping hand,
and nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
and soon I will be there
to brighten up even your darkest nights.

You just call out my name,
and you know wherever I am
I'll come running, oh yeah baby
to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
all you got to do is call
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You've got a friend.

If the sky above you
should turn dark and full of clouds
and that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together and call my name out loud now
and soon I'll be knocking upon your door.
You just call out my name and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall
all you got to do is call
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
    - James Taylor


I've been missing my writing time so far this month.  July has been filled with upheaval, loss, life changes and stress.  There have been happy moments thrown in and although I know I should be focusing on those beautiful times, the sad times have taken their toll.   One overriding theme of the days is that friends have the strength we rely on when times are tough.  Stress can be the force that encourages making changes in my life. Uninvited changes in life encourage me to reevaluate my direction and focus.   But the best thing about change and stress is that it encourages me to reach out and connect with friends.  As James Taylor puts it in the song, our friends come running when called.  They offer sympathy and strength during our times of weakness.  They remind us to look to our Heavenly Father.  They listen.  Whether it's finding the humor in watching your friend driven away for the last time in a Chevy Van, or crying with you as you  struggle through the memories, friends are a gift from God.  Who knows what James Taylor was referring to when he wrote these lyrics 40 years ago.  But if you are going through a life changing time, reach out and grab hold of a friend.