A Time to Greet Old Friends

Why do we wait until a friend passes away before seeing other old friends again? It seems that the only time I see them is at the funeral home or the funeral. I attended the graveside service of my dear friend, Steve, this morning and, although the time was very sad and somber, it wasn't long that we began to gather around our high school friends. We talked, laughed, and reminisced for an hour or so. Now, I sometimes wonder if this behavior is disrespectful to our dearly departed, or was Steve looking down on us and smiling because this occasion had given friends the opportunity to become reacquainted? Of course, much of our conversation centered around our friend but much of the time we talked about other friends who were not present. I was disappointed that only one other from my high school was there but I truly enjoyed the time spent with several from the class ahead of me and the class behind me. We will miss Steve; yet, we thank him for being a friend for so many years. What a wonderful blessing it is to have true friends to cherish. I have so many to love but always have room for more! My daughter always says I have to have friends around me and she is right! I thank each of you for being my friend.