"The friendship that can cease has never been real. "
Saint Jerome, Letterchurch father & saint (374 AD - 419 AD)

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to collect quotes. This one is rather simplistic, but nevertheless speaks volumes. In the past few months I have been trying to love those around me better than before. Of course, I guess as scripture says it is no big thing to love those who love you back, but you must learn to love those who hate you. Often I have found that I am quick to discard and discount the value of certain relationships around me because they didn't work exactly the way I thought they should. Sometimes I think we all have to regroup and reevalute what we do and why we do it. My goal is to extend friendship to those around me that cannot cease. I must admit(being the pessimist that I am) that I do not believe I have seen that kind of friendship practiced very often. At least, not in my lifetime. Being the loner that I am I still believe that God made us for relationships, and sometimes that part of me aches until Im not sure if I can bear it anymore. Although I do not readily admit this most days.

Maybe I will eventually learn, and others as well, what Mother Teresa displayed with her life...that if one loves until it hurts and keeps on loving that eventually there is no more hurt but only more love. Right now it is just hurt, but I believe what she said is true and it will be a beautiful thing wrought in one's soul if they continue to advance in the direction of pain.