Sometimes we all need to be reminded of our worth, our value.  For most of us, there is no bigger critic than ourselves.  The past couple of days have been rough for me.  A friend reminded me of my value as he reminded me of why he values me.

I had forgotten an event that happened more than twenty years ago.  My buddy Steve and I under normal circumstances would talk just about every day.  After a couple of days of not hearing from Steve, I went looking for him, finding him at his girlfriend’s house.  When I asked to see him, she told me no that he didn’t want to see anyone.  Me being me, I refused to take no for an answer and walked in anyway. 

In his own words:

A long time ago a good friend, perhaps my only true friend, told me about someone that was not good for me and I didn’t listen and it chewed up many years of my life. It almost cost the friendship which was revived 20 years later. The friend saved my life by carrying me out of this person’s apartment and taking me to hospital. It was a simple childhood disease that could have killed me. I can never repay that person but later in life grew to appreciate him very much.

Steve and I spoke of this incident today for the first time in more than twenty years. Steve was severely dehydrated and barely conscious when I found him that day at the girlfriend’s house.  I more or less carried him out to my car and took him to the emergency room.  The Doctor told him that day that without medical care he might have died.

I was quite emotional when Steve sent me the above text message this morning.  Sometimes we need to see ourselves through those that value us most to see our true value.   

My memory of the event had all but left me.  I’m sure that is because to me, that is just what friends do and didn’t deserve any special consideration.  To me it was no big deal.  To Steve it was priceless.

Here is the rest of what Steve wrote to me:

Sounds like a blog to me. The moral of the story is sometimes we do what we want despite logic or planning or advise we ask for. A true friend will be honest when asked and emotional when they see a friend hurting or confused.

Sometimes a friend will even show up unannounced to save you from your own bad decisions.

I don’t have many friends and don’t need them.  I have a few friends and they are enough to last a lifetime.

Thanks, Steve, I needed that.