"That's What Friends Are For"

 

Roel with his high school friend Lamar Salinas-Niemczycki during her visit to Holland in mid-August of this year. The friends had not seen each other since high school, twenty-six years ago.

As I write this blog, I am reminded of the biggest hit of 1986, “That’s What Friends Are For.” Take a listen to it. It might be cheesy but check out the lyrics. Man, they hit home when it comes to describing friends and friendships.

Friends are important to me and they are tightly meshed in my life. I become friends with people for different reasons but the bottom line is these folks do/did something to my heart that endeared themselves to me and I hold them in high regard.

I write this a few weeks after a special visit from a dear friend from Minnesota, Lamar Salinas-Niemczycki. Lamar and her husband Chris spent a weekend in Holland, with me showing them the town and spending quality time together.

Lamar is a high school friend, who I hadn’t seen since my junior year at San Diego High School. Twenty-six years ago. We reconnected in 2009 via Facebook and rekindled our friendship over the past five years.

But what makes Lamar a special friend enmeshed into my life? Lamar is more than just a friend from the past.  When I met her in 1986, I was dealing with my sudden vision loss that occurred four months prior. While most people back then did one of two things—either ignore me because this vision loss thing was too weird or they poked fun at me because they didn’t understand it—Lamar took a different route and befriended me. And in some ways protected me. She was tough.

For that act of kindness and that bond of friendship I am eternally grateful. She did it because that’s who she is. I love my friend for that. Thank you, Lamar.

Fast forward twenty-six years and we reunite. It was a seamless reunion, continuing where we left off the last time we saw each other in person.

And that’s what friends are for. And that’s what friends are like.

Through the years, friends like Lamar have played a vital role in my life. Friends were there to help me through the awkward ending to high school. My buddies and I cruised around on Friday and Saturday nights, jamming to metal music, getting into trouble and making the best out of life at the time. We formed unforgettable memories.

Even during tough times when I withdrew because of internal issues, friends still helped to keep me going. They were a presence and by being there it was enough

And what of moving across country to an unknown place, leaving everything and everyone behind in Texas? Truly scary. But I must say that Michigan folks are good people. Over the years I have made some tremendous friends in the Mitten State. These folks helped a stranger fit into a new world. Again, that’s what friends are for.

My friends bring me everything from a connection to the past and my hometown to a love for writing and just the randomness of life. Each friend is different and I like that about my friends. Each one was and is special to me in his or her own way. It’s all in the connection I made with that person.

Friends—and you know who you are—I love you all. 

- Roel - 

Comments

[Brandon]

It's weird how a disability can lead to friendships, isn't it? Do you ever wonder if you would have the same friends if you weren't blind? By simply being showing care and interest in people, you're able to connect with them. Awesome sentiments shared throughout. Funny you mention "That's What Friends Are For", because I instantly thought of Toy Story.