The Heart of Life

Someone once told me that they admired my authenticity. Because of the context of this comment, and whose lips it left - someone who is truly authentic in every sense of the word, I took this as the highest of compliments. Then, I began to wonder. What exactly did _______ mean? What was it about _______ that brought that out in me (the authenticity, that is) and what, or who is The Authentic Martha, anyway? What does she look like? What does she act like? What is she made of? And...If the Authentic Martha were to go "Timmmbbberrrr!" all alone in The Forest of Authenticity, would anyone hear?
How refreshing to find those individuals who truly know who we are, inside and out. Those who, in their presence, we can shed all imitation and just be. The rare souls who can finish our sentences, read our minds, fill in our blanks. Kindred spirits who take what we have to offer, sift good from bad, and love us throughout the sifting, no matter what comes out the other end. Those who see us in glory and in shades of gray; Who wait with us for the sun to come up; Who rejoice with us in its rays.
After talking with a friend a few weeks ago, I was reminded of how much she has added to my life. It had been quite a while since we had had the opportunity to chat. It took mere seconds before we were back into the rhythm of our friendship, laughter seeping out of nearly every comment. She truly has become a part of me, The Authentic Martha. Our histories have fused and the times we have spent together, in part, have defined who I am. She has shaped many of my likes and dislikes and I owe her much. The value of a true friend knows no limit.
It's encouraging to know exactly where to go when I'm losing ground, when authenticity is thin. Of this I am sure: We're not to go it alone. There are plenty of shoulders to go around, so scoot in and stand together! The race is not to the swift, but to the steady. We're here to steady each other. We're here to remind each other of The Good, when The Bad or The Sad or The Lonely seems to clamor louder than we can bear; To cover each other's ears until the tumult dies; To whisper "I believe" or "I know" in moments of doubt; To shout hooray for victory and assure "I knew you could do it all along!" To remind each other that the heart of Life is good; To defend each other's silver lining.
So, to those who have steadied; To those who continue to to steady; To those who keep sifting; To those who have been literal and figurative shoulders (no matter your distance); To those who know the True Me and love anyway; To those who know the right way to use semicolons, but read right along; Those to my right and those to my left, I say, thank you, dear friends!