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Sometimes it is so difficult for me to meet with people that I have not seen for a long time.

With summer here, some of my old friends have been in town.  I want to see them, but I don’t want them to pity me.

One weekend I was going to meet with two friends, but I was feeling apprehensive about seeing each of them. One of them had not seen me since I had been diagnosed with ALS.  I contemplated canceling our coffee gathering.

As it turned out, the time I spent with them was filled with kindness and compassion instead of pity.

Later when I reflected on the time we had enjoyed together, I wondered why I was making our friendship all about me!  I had known each of these women for 40 years, and they had both weathered their own share of hardships.

I finally realized that they needed to receive kindness and compassion as much as I did, because true friendship is never one sided.