Resolve to Renew Bond of Friendship

Resolve to Renew Bond of Friendship<br>　　 Janice Gilmore<br>　　<br>　　       Many of us make well-intended New Year resolutions each year. We resolve to lose weight, exercise more or become more organized. We often start off with gusto, only to backslide a few days or weeks later. <br>　　　　<br>　　　　The human spirit is tenacious, however, and failure doesn't stop us from making resolutions the next year. We keep trying to correct things in our lives we feel need addressing. <br>　　　　<br>　　　　This year, instead of attempting resolutions that surely will fail, we could plan to do something consequential, such as contacting an old friend. <br>　　　　<br>　　　　Many have a friend they haven't talked to in years. The friend may have moved out of the city or just across town. Or, because of busy schedules, you just don't get together anymore. <br>　　　　<br>　　　　Maybe years ago the two of you started a new job together as strangers. You clung together because you were the new kids on the block. But you found that you had many things in common and became fast friends. What fun you had together over the lunch hour and after work. <br>　　　　<br>　　　　But through the years you changed jobs, your lives got busy and your friendship got lost in the business of life. You still care for that person, but you just haven't had time to connect. <br>　　　　<br>　　　　The New Year is a good time to contact this friend and do something together. Once you bond with a person, the chemistry of that friendship remains, and you'll pick up where you left off. <br>　　　　<br>　　　　Or you may have had a good friend who had younger children like you did. Together, you went through the ups and downs of parenthood. The children may have become friends, too. <br>　　　　<br>　　　　As life happens, the children grew up and made lives of their own. Soon there were weddings, babies, happiness and tears. Somehow, the two of you drifted away, although the bond is still intact. Wouldn't that be a good person to contact? <br>　　　　<br>　　　　There may have been a good friend who was there when you were going through a trying time. It could have been the sickness and death of a parent or a major change in your life. It could have been when you severed a disappointing relationship and needed prayer and comforting. Where is that friend who was there for you during those times? Wouldn't this be a good time to contact her? <br>　　　　<br>　　　　You may remember that when a secret was shared, or a hurt was bared, your true friend was always there. Where is that friend now? <br>　　　　<br>　　　　Maybe you have forgotten what it was like to be with that person. Can you remember laughing together until tears rolled down your cheeks? Or maybe you bragged about catching the biggest fish or having the best golf score. <br>　　　　<br>　　　　Samuel Johnson wrote in the collection of poems "Words of Life": "We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is a last drop which makes it run over, so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one that makes the heart run over." <br>　　　　<br>　　　　The New Year will bring many challenges. There will be happiness, successes and failure. But because of a series of "kindnesses," your heart ran over and you made a faithful friend. Reuniting with that friend can make 2006 extraordinary for the both of you. <br>　　　　 <br>　　<br><br><INPUT><br>

<>            重续友缘<br>　　　　加尼斯。吉尔莫 著 盐酸情人 译<br>　　　　我们中很多人每一年都要制定一份非常好的新年计划。我们计划要减肥，要多做运动，要工作生活得更有条理。开始的时候我们总是兴致勃勃，可是才几天或者几周我们就又故态复萌了。<br>　　　　　　<br>　　　　然而我们很顽强，计划的失败并不会阻止我们下一年作出新的计划。我们总是尽力地改变我们生活中我们觉得需要改变的东西。<br>　　　　　　<br>　　　　今年，与其尝试一些注定要失败的计划，我们可以做一些会有结果的事情，譬如，与一位老朋友联系。<br>　　　　　　<br>　　　　许多人都有多年未曾联系的朋友。这个朋友可能搬出了你所在的城市，或者是搬到另一个镇去了，亦或者是因为太忙了，大家就再也没能聚在一起。<br>　　　　　　<br>　　　　或许几年前你们两个一起来到同一家公司工作而相识。你们凑在了一起因为你们是“这个街区两个新来的小孩”。接着，你们发现彼此有很多的共同点，你们也就成了很铁的朋友。午饭和下班的时间你们聚在一起是多么快乐呀！<br>　　　　然而随着年岁的增长你们换了工作，大家变得忙碌起来，而彼此的友情也在这忙碌中渐渐地流失了。<br>　　　　　　<br>　　　　新年是一个联系这位朋友聚一聚的好机会。一旦你与一个人建立了友情，这友情就一直都在，当你与其联系时，你就在你落下的地方又将其拾起。<br>　　　　　　<br>　　　　你或许曾经有一个好朋友，他的小孩与你的小孩一样年纪都很小。你们一并经历了初为人父母的艰辛。而你们的孩子或许也会因此成为朋友。<br>　　　　　　<br>　　　　生活总是这样，孩子慢慢地长大，有了自己的生活，结婚生子，快乐悲伤接踵而至。而你们也远离了彼此，尽管你们的友谊仍旧完好无损。这个人难道不值得联系吗？<br>　　　　　　<br>　　　　或许曾经有这样一个好朋友当你经受磨难的时候总在你的身旁。这样的磨难可能是父亲或母亲的去世，或是生活的巨大变故。这样的磨难也有可能是你刚结束一段令人沮丧的恋情，正需要别人的祈祷和安慰。这样的时候总是在你身旁的那位朋友在哪儿呢？这难道不是一个联系她的好机会吗？<br>　　　　　　<br>　　　　你可能还记得吧：当你与人分享你的秘密时，或是向人倾吐你内心的苦痛时，你真挚的好友总是在你身旁。那他现在又在哪儿呢？<br>　　　　　　<br>　　　　你可能已经忘记了与那个人呆在一起的感觉。你可还记得：你们曾经大笑到眼泪都掉下来？ 你还曾向他“炫耀”你抓到一条最大的鱼，或是获得最高的高尔夫球得分？<br>　　　　　　<br>　　　　塞缪尔。约翰逊在他的诗集《生活箴言》里写道：“我们无法确定友情在什么时候到来。这好比一滴一滴地倾注一根管子，总有那最后的一滴使其最终流动起来，为此，在一点一滴的关怀之中，总有那最后的一次使对方的心动了起来。”<br>　　　　新年会带来很多的挑战。新的一年中我们会有欢笑，有成功，有失败。然而正是因着一点一滴的“关怀”，你的心动了起来，你也就交了一位好朋友。与那位好友聚一聚会让你们俩都有一个不一样的2006！<br>　　　　　　 <br></P>