ABSTRACT
Once we be friend someone, we consider it a promise to support that person's goals, to spend time together, and to be honest, direct and gentle if something comes up that needs to be discussed. We can offer our grounded attention. We won't flit off into a stream of advice or comparison. Friends meet the needs of mind and heart. We wish to have always a good friends. They have been reliable, engaging, intelligent people who cared about our welfare and who welcomed us into their lives. Friendships end. People go away, or fall apart, or say goodbye, or sneak out. Everything is impermanent. Everyone suffers. But we may also grow. When we consider the loss and grief from former friends, we also remember the ones who remain. For example one couple took over kitchen and cooked for our families. That is the gift that makes the weight of impermanent friends bearable.
