Monday, March 31, 2014

L' Amitié~Friendship~




                                                                                                                         A very famous quote



I received this book in 2000..
I keep it for many reasons..
And from time to time it comes off the shelf for perusal..
It's amazing how the meaning of friendship changes through the years.

Some of the words in this little book seem silly now that I am 60..
And some are still spot on about what a friend is..
A friend can be many things..

And you do not necessarily have to have met someone for he or she to become a friend.
Look at us..on the internet..

Certainly we are very lucky to have met some..
And that can be fun..
But most of the friends we make while blogging..we never get to meet or even see..
But they are there..and we correspond with them more than real life people sometimes..
We keep talking about them to our husbands etc..
Similar tastes..activities..passions..
Circumstances just draw us to one another for who knows what reason..
That we like the same things?
Or that we don't but love to discover?
That we feel the same things?
Or that we don't yet yearn to see a diffent outlook?
The anonymity?
The pleasure we have seeing a comment or an email from a blogging friend?
The years of friendship?
The fact that we are not exposed to each others looks.. clothes..money etc?
I thinks it's all of the above and much more.
It's hearts connecting..not eyes..seeing what the other represents in the material world..
We are all  pretty much for the most part..
Into baking and cooking and painting and photography and books..
and gardening..:)children,spouses,grandchildren..
Or not.
But something about this connective web that is the internet..
Draws us into people.
And I love that.
It has been an amazing reward to blogging.

Sometimes..it can make you tear up too..if a friend is out of sorts..or not well..or going through a difficult time no matter what the reason.
And then we feel compassion..

If they are going through a great time..we are excited for them..
Little things here and there remind us of blogging friends we have..
A flower.. a painting..an item..a song..a verse..a book..

And sometimes  we feel sorrow..

Like when Derek and Marlene..  2 of the very first  web friends I met..passed away.
I peek into my garden..and sure enough plants they brought us come up every Spring..
I see  a cow..and Derek is right there. because I met his cows at his farm and he sent me a photo with a quote bubble of the cows talking to me...A charming garden in QC..and  beautiful Marlene is there.

We really do become friends..and even sight unseen..


This week I received a very touching email.. announcing some sad news..
That one of my blogging friends..had passed away.
We never met..
She didn"t have a blog..
She commented on mine through the years..and on others..
And we exchanged some emails..about food and gardens and fairies..
and small tokens of our internet friendship..
Once there was a fairy..a little silver fairy..on a ribbon I think holding little calling cards for me..
I put it on my mom's charm bracelet..and it's been there ever since..

And it will be forever.
She always ended her notes with..Blessings..
Last Easter she sent me  an idea for an Easter cake for my little ones..
She once sent me Graces by June Cotnor..
She alerted me to the May June issue of Victoria last yr..France..
Her Birthday was in March..
Just little greetings here and there..

Her dear husband was the gentleman who contacted  me  to let me know.

A beautiful kind person she was.

Thank you ..for being my friend..





                                                                            ♥

42 comments:

  1. What a touching post and so true. Blogging is such a special thing and has forged many friendships for me, including you. I've been fortunate to have met quite a few bloggers, but others that I've never met I still feel very close to. I'm sad to hear about your friend that passed away. A couple of years ago I followed a blog and I really liked the writer and all of a sudden the blogging stopped. I wrote and asked if anything had happened and so did others, but no one ever heard from him again. How nice that this ladies husband let you know instead of just disappearing.

    Thanks for being my blogging friend Monique.
    Fondly,
    Sam

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    1. You too Sam..Thank you..
      I agree I would have never known without her husbands kind consideration..Amazing what comes back into your mind after..
      No little gesture is ever lost is it?
      I know you have met so many..and I love seeing your adventures:)

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  2. ~She must have cared and cherished your friendship and spoke highly of you, in order for her husband to contact you in his sad time of his life...Di

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    1. Di our husbands..sometimes look at us and say..now where does she live again?
      :)
      Many he knows by photos now:) And some in person..of course.

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  3. Bonjour ma chère Nana,
    Une publication très émouvante et touchante...
    Je suis dans la salle d'attente de la clinique... Je rentre pour y être opérée demain. Comme tous on n'est jamais très fier... Te lire m'apporte du réconfort car effectivement l'amitié entre blogueurs est très importante...
    La vie qui passe, ses aléas nous fait réaliser à quel point nous ne en sommes pas grand chose. La vie avec Internet peut être un plus dans le cœur de beaucoup... Et tu fais partie des personnes que j'aimerais un jour rencontrer.
    Bisous à toi

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    Replies
    1. Je pense à toi..
      Il n'y a pas de lieu je crois ou l'on peut se sentir plus seule..
      Il y a 5 ans.. je n'aurais pas eu connaissance de tout cela..Depuis 4 ans..nous..connaissons bien ce que tu vis.
      Mes meilleurs voeux d'un prompt rétablissement et d'une guérison complète et parfaite.
      x

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  4. This is such a touching post, the blogging world and the people we meet through it is so amazing, we are able to find and connect with those that have similar interests and we go through the ups and downs with them, like the loss of family members or pets. I am glad to have met you through it and a glimpse into your part of the world. :)

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    1. Me too!
      It is sometimes about reading between the lines.. a knowing.
      And my next journal will be crafted after your last post:)

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  5. Dear Friend,
    This is a beautiful reflection on the magic of friendship, & I feel honored to be one of your internet correspondants...hopefully internet friend...Your amitiè with your friend is a special gift. It's always sad when some one to whom we're conntected leaves us, but I love how you are carrying her spirit with you...and sharing the love & friendship. Love, R.

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    1. It just clicked when I found your blog and all your expressions through your wonderful art!

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  6. What an amazing post about friendship! I send you hugs at the loss of your blogging friend. xo

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  7. Your tribute to friends and friendship is beautiful. I smiled as I read...Terry gets to listen to me talk about my friend in Oregon, North Carolina, Florida, Canada, England...there are no boundaries or limits in our internet community... I have been honored to meet so many lovely men and women whom I can call friend. I am so sorry to hear of your friend's passing...your lovely expression of friendship was a fitting tribute.

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    1. Same here..Jacques hears of places:)And names.. when I get into the offspring..I lose him sometimes:)
      Sam..Jake..Lauren.. etc..:)

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  8. And you, my dear blogging friend, I consider my friend.

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    1. ME too.:)
      I can't even follow you..:)
      I have to keep checking!

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  9. Your words are so true! I feel like some bloggers are great friends, yet I've never met them. And you're right, looks, no flashy cars or designer clothing gets in the way. Sorry to hear about your blogger friend and that was kind of her husband to inform you. I "knew" a blogger from Georgia for several years, then one day it stopped and I've always wondered what happened. Friendship takes many forms and I consider you a interesting friend.

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    1. :)

      I too have seen bloggers disappear and have wondered..
      I wish there was a way that we could know that they were well..:)
      It's just a little something in a post that draws us in..
      I bet there are so many we are not aware of..

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  10. I'm sure like many of your other blogger friends we all feel a special tug to certain blog friends. to some one we have never met but feel we know, just by sharing are likes, and passions. When I first read your blog which I think I've mentioned before through reading Ronelles posts, I immediately felt I knew you and over the years we have got to know one another a little bit more. I too talk about some of my blog friends to my husband. How sad to be told about the loss of one of your blog friends, but wonderful her husband took the time to let you know. I was truly touched by the sincere wishes you sent to me, along with several other of my friends, for my forth coming treatment. A truly lovely post about friendship, however it comes. Thank you Monique.

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  11. This was a lovely post Monique. I am sorry to hear about your friend, but happy her husband thought to let you know. It is really sad when an invisible friend passes and nobody lets you know. They just . . . disappear . . .

    I have made some really lovely friends through the medium of blogging through the years and although I have not been able to meet too many of them in person, we have touched hearts in a special way and I do believe that is a bond that is a real gift from above and a treasure. You are one of my treasures. xxoo

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  12. We're so lucky to have this camaraderie tool at our fingertips..
    I know and older gentleman.. I have been suggesting and suggesting he get a computer..He would benefit so much..

    Have a great day everyone.

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  13. Your post brought a tear to my eye...I also lost a dear internet friend a few weeks ago. I was lucky to have met her and to have spent the day with her in Boston a few years back...
    I feel very blessed to have some very dear friends i have met through blogging and the internet...
    You are one of them...Bisous xoxoxo

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    1. I remember..you were very sad..
      Grateful for you:-)
      Mais tu le sais!

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  14. Terriblement touchant, ton billet, Monique ...
    Bisous
    Hélène

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  15. You are a very special blogging friend, Monique, and I feel like I have known you for a very long time. I cherish our friendship. I'm so sorry to read about the loss of your friend. That you didn't meet face to face doesn't diminish the feeling of loss.

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    1. I am so happy I "met " you too..
      And you have taught me so much!
      Thank you for that:-)

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  16. My condolences Monique, What a wonderful testimonial to your friend.

    I saw a cute saying somewhere last week, but I cannot recall or I would have pinned it. It said, "I love my computer, my friends are in there." I have made so many nice people since I started blogging. When I mention my new friends to my family, they say, "Who? do we know them?"

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  17. That is a really cute and very correct quote:-)
    I would pin that!

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  18. Sorry to hear of your loss Monique. It is so true we have met so many more friends because of our shared interests and the internet bringing us together.

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  19. I can relate to this post ;-) Such dear blogging friends that email me almost daily ;-) I'm sorry to hear of your loss Monique. You are a joy! xo

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  20. Penpals:) I liked them as a child..I love them now:)

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  21. This brought tears to my eyes. So well written and heart felt. I am so sorry for the loss of this kind soul who touched your life.

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    1. She was so humble..nice..there are 2 blogs I follow because she recommended them.
      A real sweetheart:-) Amazing how we keep thinking about them..x

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  22. This is such a touching post and the husband was so nice to tell you. We have to remember that without followers we would not have blogs. I am sending my sincere sympathy to her husband.

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    1. Tellement gentille de penser au mari..
      En effet ,son amour pour elle ,touchant.
      De prendre le temps de communiquer avec moi..vraiment admirable..
      Comme elle d'ailleurs.

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  23. Wonderful post, Monique! You are so right. Just recently I was telling my family about you, my daughter loves to do watercolor pictures, and I was telling her how you have your craft room and you do your little beautiful pictures. Also we are planning to go to Canada this summer and I tell my husband that I should talk to you about our trip. So, you see you are all ready part of our lives and it brings me a joy! So thank you dear, from the button of my heart!!

    Hugs,

    Yelena

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  24. Email me anytime :-) I don't travel a lot but maybe I can recommend a few things:-)
    With pleasurex

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  25. This is a lovely tribute to friendships made while blogging. I'm sorry about your friend passing away. It was so thoughtful that her husband let you know. I have had trouble with my comments going through on blogspot again but today it seems to be working and I just had to try getting this comment to go through again. I consider you a friend and feel bad when I can't let you know that I am reading your posts.

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