Friendship covers a lot of territory. I consider the big blue spruce tree that grows outside our front porch a friend. The bunnies that find shade and protection beneath this tree are friends. The sea is my friend. The house plant that has grown so much it almost touches our living room ceiling is a friend. The Great Dane named Ted who lives across the alley is a friend.

In this article, however, I seek to share a few thoughts about the wonder and importance of Finding true friendship in a human sense.

It may be a friendship that stands tall and has stood the test of time, where there is someone in your life that you know you can speak to about anything. It may be a friendship of a more temporary nature--a brief encounter with a stranger, perhaps--that nonetheless is also filled with meaning and truth, that also lifts our spirit, and helps us navigate the challenges of life.

We can't make true friendship Happen, of course. It is a gift of the spirit. But we can nurture those qualities of genuineness and empathy in ourselves that open the door to friendship, that make it possible for us to recognize and also attract similar qualities of genuineness and empathy in another.

It may happen in a moment. It may happen over time. But finding a new friend, a true friend, is like coming home to a part of ourselves that previously had been hidden from us.

Experiencing this joy of "re-union" and friendship with readers of this blog is probably the main reason I feel drawn to write The Happy Seeker.

My love and blessings to you. If you have any more thoughts on friendship please share.