Friendship — Blow Away the Rest

Friendship is like a safe harbor where in the midst of life's storms, you find a secure and safe place to come and rest.

Whether you are the one in need of a safe harbor to come to or a safe harbor to be for someone else, true friendship is a gift we all need — both as something received and as something we give to others.

May this poem by Dinah Maria Craik inspire you to look for true friendship if you’re in a storm or be the person who takes what is given, keep what’s worth keeping and blow away the chaff.

Friendship*

Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling

Safe with a person,

Having neither to weight thoughts,

Nor measure words — but pouring them

All right out — just as they are —

Chaff that a faithful hand will

Take and sift them —

Keep what is worth keeping —

And with the breath of kindness

Blow the rest away.

— by Dinah Maria Craik (1826-1887)

I Want…

…to be this kind of friend for others.

…to cultivate relationships with others who will be this kind of a friend for me.

Time to Reflect

• What about this poem resonates with you?

• What about this poem serves to remind you of something you’ve forgotten?

• What has been your experience finding this kind of friend when you needed it most?

• When have you been this kind of friend to someone else?

*This poem by Dinah Maria Craik celebrates the unconditional trust and emotional security found in a true, intimate friendship. It comes from her 1859 novel entitled A Life for a Life, which is all about the comfort of being fully seen and accepted.