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Someone on social media recently shared an excerpt from a Winnie the Pooh book. It immediately caught my eye, because it reminded me of an old post of mine about remembering people and friendship. Here is the Winnie the Pooh excerpt:

It occurred to Pooh and Piglet that they hadn’t heard from Eeyore for several days, so they put on their hats and coats and trotted across the Hundred Acre Wood to Eeyore’s stick house. Inside the house was Eeyore.
“Hello Eeyore,” said Pooh.
“Hello Pooh. Hello Piglet ” said Eeyore, in a Glum Sounding Voice.
“We just thought we’d check in on you,” said Piglet, “because we hadn’t heard from you, and so we wanted to know if you were okay.”
Eeyore was silent for a moment. “Am I okay?” he asked, eventually.
“Well, I don’t know, to be honest. Are any of us really okay? That’s what I ask myself. All I can tell you, Pooh and Piglet, is that right now I feel really rather sad, and alone, and not much fun to be around at all.” Which is why I haven’t bothered you. Because you wouldn’t want to waste your time hanging out with someone who is sad, and alone, and not much fun to be around at all, would you now.”
Pooh looked and Piglet, and Piglet looked at Pooh, and they both sat down, one on either side of Eeyore in his stick house.
Eeyore looked at them in surprise. “What are you doing?”
“We’re sitting here with you,” said Pooh, “because we are your friends. And true friends don’t care if someone is feeling sad, or alone, or not much fun to be around at all. True friends are there for you anyway. And so here we are.”
“Oh,” said Eeyore. “Oh.” And the three of them sat there in silence, and while Pooh and Piglet said nothing at all; somehow, almost imperceptibly, Eeyore started to feel a very tiny little bit better.
Because Pooh and Piglet were there.
No more; no less.  – A.A.Milne and E.H.Shepard

My post is here: Remember the forgotten, and keep friendships in repair. It is longer than a typical blog post (1300 words) but I hope you might read it. It is a post I wrote in a heartfelt way.

Would you even notice if a friend stopped communicating or showing up in their normal way? Sadly, I find too many today would not notice. And if they did notice, they would not bother to reach out. As I clarify in the post, I am not talking about stalking someone, people can need space. But whatever happened to loyalty and simply caring enough to notice and reach out? Basic qualities of friendship seem to be forgotten in our day.

As I say in the post…If you really care about someone, how can you go extended periods of time without wondering about them – being concerned about them – enough to get in touch??

Our Lord Jesus Christ, in both the Old and New Testament, is described as the Good Shepherd who cares for the life of his sheep. In the parable in Luke, the shepherd noticed a missing sheep and went looking for it. Jesus also said “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)

Whatever happened to this type of friendship?

Where are friends like Pooh and Piglet today?

Pooh and Piglet noticed that they had not seen Eeyore in several days. They had to put forth some effort to check on him. Did they try and cheer Eeyore up? Give him advice? No. But they were a presence. Often that is all that is needed.