Never Underestimate the Power of Friendship

Hello Everyone

I have just come home from a couple of lovely days with friends of mine at the Sunshine Coast. Looking back over the years, I am blessed with friends from my school days. From our children's school and kindy days. From my working days before Nutrimetics, from my Nutrimetics days. From our volunteer days and no doubt, there are other friends who I have met along life's journey.

It is so special, and I'm sure you will all agree that friendships play a major role in all our lives. Where would we be without them? While we spend enjoyable times with them, they are also there when we need a shoulder to lean on if we need support and help.

Friends will come and go in our lives. No matter how long your friendship lasts, the most important thing is your friend’s acceptance of you for whom you are. A good friend walks the talk and shows they care by their actions – big and small. They are there for you no matter what. They don’t judge, they don’t hurt your feelings, they are kind and respectful, you enjoy their company, they are loyal, trustworthy but also willing to tell you the truth even though it may be hard to hear. They laugh with you, make you smile, they listen, they comfort when you are sad, and an important one is they stick around when things get tough.

If you treat people around you as I have just described, then you are already a good friend to them. Sometimes it is not easy to know how to be there for your friends; however, with an ear to listen and love in your heart, it goes a long way.

I get so much joy and happiness from times like our couple of days away with long-time friends. They are a couple of friends of 46 years who we have known from our children's kindergarten days. We laughed, we dined and listen to this, I even gave in and allowed John and our friends to watch the State of Origin match. That was really testing the friendship.

We are home one night, and then we are off to the coast again tomorrow to join another group of treasured friends. One couple are work colleagues from my banking days along with another couple who were our neighbours in Toowoomba where our children grew up. I so love hearing our children reflect and reminiscence about the barbeques by the pool and the fun times we shared as neighbours. It is a weekend we do a couple of times a year, and we so look forward to them.

Tomorrow night we will all enjoy dinner together. Then after breakfast Saturday the real fun begins when the men challenge the ladies in board games and cards. The competitive streak in the ladies comes to the fore, particularly after the menfolk have had a beer or two and start to make up their own rules with the word cheating in question.

While it is impossible to keep in touch with everybody, I have found our Annual Xmas letter a wonderful tool to let all our friends know what our family and we have been doing in the past twelve months. I have been sending the letter for many years, and we love our friends reciprocating and receiving their respective family news.

In fact, Christmas is a time where we think of our friends, and we make that extra effort to get in touch simply to see how they are. I realise this is something we should be doing more often, but it is that simple time factor.

We did find during the Covid period while we were all in lockdown that we did make that extra effort to reach out to our friends to check everyone was ok. It is also a great opportunity to take advantage of the holiday period to reach out to those we have not seen or heard from for a while. It gives us an opportunity to renew those special friendships. It certainly brings great joy and happiness to every one of us.

We trust that each of you values your treasured friendships as much as we do, so until next week we say "A strong friendship doesn't need daily conversation or being together. As long as the relationship lives in the heart, true friends are never apart.“

Sending love and friendship blessings for a happy week

Annette

Annette French, I have been with Nutrimetics for 35 rewarding years. As a Presidential Director, I am proud to lead a vast team of incredible people.

Proud mother of two and doting granny to 6 beautiful grandkids

Devoted wife to my loving husband of 52 years, John.

An avid gardener and self-confessed flower lover. My greatest garden though has been in real life, nourishing and helping others to grow and achieve greatness.