At times a person will express being offended by friends because they have had little or no contact with them. I seek to offer a different point of view, having friends that I have not seen or heard from for years, yet I can never see their absence as offensive. These are people that I can only identify as eternal friends, friends that I have been so blessed to know and associate with for a time, to be the recipient of their love and service, that close proximity in the present is not necessary to continue this friendship. The love and caring we have shared in the past burns bright through my memories in the present. As we get caught up in our daily routines and sometimes struggles, sometimes feeling loneliness, we can ever reflect on such friendships solidified in the past, never to be forgotten. When I tell people of my eternal friendships, one stands out clearly in my mind. A wonderful loving family who spent a few short years as my backdoor neighbor. Our time together will always be cherished, and if and when we see each other again in this life or the next, our friendship will bless me once again.