Letter To An Old Friend

Hello, old friend,

Time flies! Haven? the years sped quickly by? Looking back, it doesn?t seem all that
long ago that we were at school. I can remember some of our teachers and youth
group leaders very well indeed.
Teen years were great times, even though they had their special challenges. They
were followed all too soon with marriage, family and career responsibilities. We?ve
each walked our own particular path, and there have been both good times and not
so good. Now old age has sneaked up on me and I?ll never see 70 again.
Looking back I notice that some things that were once important to me are less so
now, and yet there are some things that are more important than ever. I suppose it?
s the same with you and everyone else.
Have you noticed that no matter how hard we try, there are some things that we
can?t keep hold of? In a way, I suppose that health and strength are near the top of
the list, though I do hope you are still keeping reasonably well.
When we were younger we looked at the Family Notices in the newspaper to see who
was getting married, or had just had a baby. Nowadays it?s mostly in the death
notices that we see the names of people we?ve known over the years.
Does the thought of death worry you? I know one or two old folk who are quite
frightened about it, and in fact, even struggle with day to day living.
Others seem to have no worries at all. Don?t you wonder how they cope so well?

THE WAY I SEE IT

I want to share with you the way I see things, but first of all, let me list out some of
the attitudes and beliefs that people I know have expressed. It will be interesting to
see where you fit into it, won?t it?
1. Believe it or not, I have been told that death is the end. ?We die like a dog and
that?s the end of it,? a guy once told me. The trouble with that idea is that I doubt if
anyone can believe it deep down inside. You know why? Because ?God has put
eternity in the hearts of men [and women, of course.]? It doesn?t matter where you
go in the world, you?ll find that people of every race and colour believe in a
hereafter.
2. Perhaps the most common idea other ?oldies? seem to have is that if you are
good enough or at least have done more good than harm in the world, you?ll
make it to heaven okay. I?ve heard one man say again and again, ?I?ve never done
anyone any harm.
You know what I think? Even though we might try to convince ourselves that we?ve
been good enough, deep down inside there are nagging doubts. At least once in a
while, memories come back of things we?d much rather forget. [Happily, there is
an ?unless . . .? to that . . .unless we discover God?s way to eliminate them.

The Good Book agrees. It says that no matter how hard we may have tried, no one
can get to heaven on the basis of the good they?ve done
3. Let me mention one other thing: No one gets to heaven automatically. The
way some folk seem to see it is that death opens an automatic door to eternal
peace, happiness and rest. That is simply not true! You better not count on it
You know what? Heaven is God?s home and He sets the rules on who is
allowed in. Believe it or not, He loves each of us very much indeed, and everyone
else on earth too, but because of the kind of person He is, He has felt the need to set
a ?dress standard? so to speak. Without God?s help, our past wrong-doing, and even
our sub-standard good-doing blocks our entrance.

THE SIMPLE FACTS

It is a pleasure to set out the great Good News for you. It doesn?t start with what we
have to do, but with what God has done for us.
1. Because of His amazing love for us all, God sent His Son Jesus to die on a cross,
and thus pay the penalty for our sinful wrong-doing. God is not only amazingly
loving, but also pure and holy so something had to be done about our sin!
2. God?s first requirement for us is to be sorry enough for our sin that we ask His
forgiveness for it all.
At the same time we need to seek His cleansing from every sin, determining with His
help not to live selfishly and sinfully any more.
3. The next step is to choose to trust the Lord Jesus to take control of our lives and to
be our Saviour. He wants to come into our lives in that kind of way, and what an
amazing difference He makes when we allow Him to!
You can see that at the same time this is both very simple and really challenging.
The Bible tells us to repent of our sins, have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and be
saved. In other words, follow the three steps I?ve just given you, and you can be
sure of heaven. Another blessing in this is that when we follow these simple steps
the Lord Jesus makes a wonderful change in our lives here and now.

GOD?S GUARANTEE
This letter is getting too long, but I do want to mention that when we trust in the
Lord Jesus for salvation, He lets us know inside that our desire is granted.
Wonderfully, He gives an inner peace, assurance, confidence that it is so.
So we have His word on it, and that inner witness which is His guarantee. The Bible
teaches that God raised His one and only special Son Jesus from the dead, and
welcomed Him to heaven, as a guarantee that He would do the same for us if we
trust our lives and our future to Him.

Well, my old friend, all I can say is, ?Go for it, and Go for it now!?

A FINAL THOUGHT
Years ago a man I?d never met before came with his wife to visit us. He told me that
he had cancer and didn?t expect to live much longer. At the moment he didn?t quite
want to make his peace with God, but wanted to get near enough so he could do so
quickly later on.
You can probably understand why I said to him, ?John Lobley, you?ll never get away
with that.? Happily he took notice of what I?d said and followed the same advice I?
ve given you in this letter. We?ve lived long enough, haven?t we, to know that no
one can be sure of a later opportunity?
To finish the story, I?m glad to say that I was sitting by John Lobley in the hospital
when he regained consciousness for a few moments. In a soft voice he asked me, ?
What?s going to happen?? I asked him ?Is Jesus your Lord and Saviour?? He sighed
peacefully, ?Oh yes.? Those were his final words.
I?ve enjoyed trying to set all this out clearly for you. Please contact me if you have
any other questions and if there is any way I can help you further.
Your friend
John

An Open Letter to an Old Friend

Dear Friend,
You would probably be surprised to hear I think of you quite a lot. Then again maybe
youre not that surprised. Well another year has almost passed by and its been
awhile since we last talked. Its funny how two friends who were once inseparable
can become complete strangers, isnt it? There have been lots of changes over the
year some good, and some very disappointing. I just cant believe that it went so
quickly. My family is doing well and so am I. There is even a new little one that
hopefully you will someday meet.
I started to call, but decide to write instead. How are you? I hope that you and your
family are all right. It would have been much simpler to just pick up the phone and
call, but for me thats a very difficult thing to do. As you know things were said,
friendships were tested, and a bond was broke. Life is too short to hold grudges and
harbor bitterness so Im writing to tell you that I miss the laughs and the long
talks. I miss reminiscing and hanging out, but most of all, I just miss you.
One day we will probably laugh about what happened, but unfortunately today is not
the day! I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday, and to let you know I was
thinking about you.
My birthday wish for you today is for all good things to come your way.

Happy Birthday!
Hi , my teachers ... can u check this letter to an old friend plz

Dear Huda:
Well, another year has passed. I just can't believe that it went so quickly. I was studying for my
exams and I finished high school. Now I start my studying in the college of medicine and I really
miss the time that we spent together. I am so sorry because I didn't send letters for you. Actually I
lost your address and I am lucky to find it again.
And how are you? I hope that you and your family are all right. Did you join the Interior Design
College as you always wish? I really want to know your latest news and know everything about
your studying.
I'm writing to tell that I have been to Europe and it was great. Do you believe that I met our friend
Yara in France. It was by accident. She has been there for five years. She got married and she is
waiting for her baby now.
Well this is all about me and we are all doing fine here. I am waiting to here from you soon.
Take care!
Your best friend

An Open Letter to an Old Friend

Posted on April 21, 2011 at 12:05 am.
Written by Suzanne

Hello Old Friend.

You'd probably be surprised to hear I think of you quite a lot.
I've been assuming you've moved on with your life and never think of me at all.
But I guess you do remember me, and our friendship, occasionally.
Once in awhile, you check in on me by visiting here at Twenty Four At Heart.
You probably think you're anonymous, reading what I write without me knowing you've
stopped by. After all, I don't know who the majority of people are who stop by to visit.
My blog stats only show me a few things. I see the number of people who read Twenty
Four At Heart, and I see the cities and countries they visit from, but I don't see names or
identifying details.
And all the people who read me on their iPhones, and Blackberries, or other
smartphones?
Well, all I really see then is that someone logged on from a phone.
But sometimes
Sometimes, I see you there, very VISIBLY, on my stat page.
And every single time
It makes my heart hurt.

I miss you.
Losing you was one of the most painful aspects of the car accident aftermath.
You know
The aftermath that just keeps on coming, and coming, and never seems to stop.
What do you feel when you visit here?
Are you stopping by because you're curious about my life?
Are you bitter and angry?
Indifferent?
Do you have regrets?
I wonder if, as you read my words, you ever miss me?
There is so much more to me, so much more to my life, than what I write about here.
The biggest pieces of my life are, in fact, the things I can't write about in a public forum.
Those are all the things I used to talk to you about.
But now, instead, once in awhile you read the words I've written.
You look at the photos I've posted.
How much simpler would it be to just pick up the phone and call?
You could hear my voice and ask me, yourself, how I am.
I know for you it would be a very difficult thing to do.
And so, the phone remains quiet
Always so quiet.
Maybe you're not that surprised I think of you a lot.
Sometimes you still visit Twenty Four At Heart.
Every single time it makes my heart hurt.
I miss you.

A Letter To An Old Friend

Childhood friends? I hope we still are.
Years have put space between us and now you seem so far.
Childhood promises never seem to stick.
Best friends forever is an old classic.
What would happen in the future?
We were not aware.

Who could forget that one special person that was always there?
The arms into which you fall.
The one to which you crawl.
No more playing in the back yard.
Growing up sure makes being friends hard.
From kids to teenagers we have grown so much.
I wonder how such good friends seem to lose touch.
Maybe destiny will hopefully let us meet again.
Until then this is a letter to an old friend.

Source: http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/childhood-friends-loosetouch#ixzz3pTvPQmF9
#FamilyFriendPoems

11 Letter to an Old Friend

Write a letter to an old friend or a new one.
Start by passing out the copy of The River-Merchants Wife by Ezra Pound and have the group
read along while you read out loud. Then follow that with two more poems by people in assisted
living centers.
After reading the poems with the group give them some prompts to help them think about old
friends, such as:
Who was your best friend, and which of your friends do you remember the most about.
What was the favorite thing you remember about them? What did you like to do together? Etc.
Then pass out the worksheet with these questions and others to help them along. If you get
someone who just cant remember anyone, as an alternate have them write a letter to a favorite
pet, or to their mother or father, brother or sister.
As always, leave time at the end for everyone to share their work.

Who was your best friend and what do remember about them?
____________________________________________________________________

What did the two of you do together that you can remember?
____________________________________________________________________

Did you ever do anything together that scared you?

____________________________________________________________________

Did you ever tell them a lie? Or did they ever lie to you?
____________________________________________________________________

When is the last time you saw them?

____________________________________________________________________

If they came to visit today what would you like to tell them?
____________________________________________________________________
The River-Merchants Wife: A Letter
translated by Ezra Pound
While my hair was still cut straight across my forehead
I played about the front gate, pulling flowers.
You came by on bamboo stilts, playing horse,
You walked about my seat, playing with blue plums.
And we went on living in the village of Chokan:
Two small people, without dislike or suspicion.
At fourteen I married My Lord you.
I never laughed, being bashful.
Lowering my head, I looked at the wall.
Called to, a thousand times, I never looked back.
At fifteen I stopped scowling,
I desired my dust to be mingled with yours

Forever and forever and forever.

Why should I climb the look out?
At sixteen you departed,
You went into far Ku-to-yen, by the river of swirling eddies,
And you have been gone five months.
The monkeys make sorrowful noise overhead.
You dragged your feet when you went out.
By the gate now, the moss is grown, the different mosses,
Too deep to clear them away!
The leaves fall early this autumn, in wind.
The paired butterflies are already yellow with August
Over the grass in the West garden;
They hurt me. I grow older.
If you are coming down through the narrows of the river Kiang,
Please let me know beforehand,
And I will come out to meet you
As far as Cho-fu-Sa.
By Rihaku
Dear Tom,
A desire to write you has possessed me lately again.
You were eleven years old, and I about 2 days old, when they introduced us. You fell in love with
me at once.
Remember all the years you came on Sunday nights to visit my mother, my older sister, and me.
You may not be alive, but I hope you are and have been the happy man you deserved to be.

Remember the trips to the theaters, which I loved, and Christmas Eve refreshments at my house
after the show.
And the piano playing and the very poor singing by all three of us after laughter and talk!
They were happy, young times. You and I both enjoyed them. Perhaps we should have married.
Elsie
Elsie Dikeman
A Letter to an Old Friend
Weve known each other all our lives,
And now you have passed,
And I am still alive.
Susie, I loved you so much better
Than any friend I ever had.
When you mother died, she left seven little children
That you ahd to raise. Do you remember
How I used to cook and help to feed them?
Now all the old-timers are gone.
And Im left here alone.
Oh how I wish you were here, so we could have
A long talk and go to church together again.
Love, Mary
Mary L. Jackson

A letter to an old friend after 10 years/A little

something for everyone
Posted onJune 30, 2010AuthorCarissa Jade16 persons rock my world.

Hi old friend!(Austin), AND also blog friends, new readers (thank you
20sb), random people who got here by googling John Cusacks girlfriend
or Shit your pants or douchengoyle!!!!
Its so good to hear from you and I truly hope you dont mind that Im
sharing my response to your email with the world. And by world, of
course, I mean the few people who are still reading after my recent bloghiatus. You mentioned you enjoyed the blog, and though I know you may
have just been being nice, I figured I would use this opportunity to update
anyone who wants to hear a summary happening the last 10 years of my
life. I really enjoyed your email and Im glad to hear youre doing well. I
hope you dont think its rude that Im not responding much to your own
life adventures, but Ill do that in another correspondence.
TEN YEARS. Its crazy that its been that long, by the way. Lets see, when
we last talked I was deep in the throws of sorority life in college. Although
I remained active in my sorority most of my college years, I would
definitely say that, for the most part- I wasnt very active. I enjoyed
making friends who were very different from myself, and I feel that the
people I met in college have allowed me to grow and change in ways that
I never imagined. I was still a dance/theater major back when we last
spoke, and that didnt last very long either-which is one of my major
regrets in life thus far. At the time though, it was right to quit. I switched
to journalism, then advertising, then Radio/TV/Film, all along picking up a
ridiculous amount of English electives, mostly because the professors
were the cutest. There was one named Dr. Cox who taught several
creative writing classes who I was especially smitten with. I blame my
eventual English Composition major on him.
I probably look quite similar to the way I looked in high school, but what
you may or may not know is that the majority of the time that we have
not spoken Ive gone through many physical changes. For one, I went
through a stage where I was constantly dying my hair. The worst was a
Ozzie-Osbourne-esgue bright red tip stage, which I still have an odd

affection for. Mostly though, after I quit dancing, I continued on with a diet
of primarily cheese, Taco Bueno, Keystone Light and stuffed Tortellini
which eventually caused me to gain a few pounds. And by a few pounds, I
mean I eventually tipped the scale at 240 lbs. After a few years of being
completely content with my status as the funny girl and becoming very
close to being a contestant on The Biggest Loser, I eventually decided it
was time to change my ways. Im not sure Ill ever be comfortable with my
body, but Im damn sure intent on trying to be as happy with myself as
possible.
Along with an ever changing interest in school subjects and a variety body
sizes, I gained quite an array of passions and went through many stages
over the years. Some have been fleeting and some have managed to
remain (sometimes begrudgingly) as a staple in my life even now. Just to
name a few, over the years Ive been able to describe myself as: A
Crossword junkie; an NSYNC fan-gal; A reader of every horror novel ever
written; an adderol addict; a raging drunk; a wino; a girl who decopauges
every wooden surface in site; a film junkie; a really bad poet; an obsessive
journal writer, a scrapbooker; a collector of quotes; a host small comedy
radio show; an insomniac; a 6 month obsessionator of writing a tv pilot
only to lose the zip drive that it was saved on; a rat owner; a person who
will complete any dare; a person who quickly lost interest in writing a tv
pilot once all her hard work was lost; a person who got high and made up
ridiculous games; web site developer in the least technical sense possible;
a music lover; a person obsessed with watching every comedy show ever
made; a dance teacher; a loan officer; an insurance broker; a dreamer; a
comedian; John Cusacks girlfriend (unbeknownst to him); and of course,
a blogger. I could go on forever, but it seems Ive already accomplished
half of that so Ill stop now.
There are, of course some things that havent changed. I still seem to find
a way to get myself into the most ridiculous situations, which is an
affliction that I have a love/hate relationship with. Im still loud,yet shy. I
still love to be the center of attention yet am extremely private about
certain aspects of my life. I still love to meet new people and am
a constant student of socialogy. I still dont know what I want to be when I
grow up, and Im ok with that.

More than anything, like you- I still have an incredible passion for
performance and writing. After I quit dancing and theater, I took up improv
comedy, partially because my heroes in life have always been Steve
Martin and Robin Williams, and partially because I missed performing and
comedy seemed to be the most practical venue for a girl of a bigger size.
Although I recently havent been overly active in performing, its
something that I think that Ill always do in some venue or another. Im
very interested in eventually getting back into theater, giving stand-up a
go, and attempting writing for every venue possible. Really I want to try
anything once, and you my friend are a great inspiration in that respect,
so thank you for that!
When it comes to romance and all that jazz, I think were on the same
page, or at least the same chapter. Ive never really given settling down
much of a thought -mostly because I am an incredibly selfish person and
want to do so many things in my life, none which (at least at this
point of time) remotely involve children, staying in one place for long, or
require a career that holds any sort of financial stability. That, and I
hold a tragic combination of romantic ideals. Ive always been a hopeless
romantic, but over the years Ive gained just enough realism watched
enough movies to fear that if I ever find that perfect romance, it will
somehow end in tragedy. But I guess thats the cynic in me talking Or
maybe just my imagination. Either way, Ive found myself in a long pattern
of falling for boys whom I have absolutely no connection with, but who I
find are interesting, in one way or another. But now though? Who knows.
I guess Im still hopeful. Maybe they arent all douchengoyles afterall.
Which brings me back here to this little neglected place on the interwebs,
where for nearly a year now I have been sharing with the world intimate
details of my uninteresting life. Ive recently been taking a much needed
blog-break and have been spending a little time living life, catching up
with old friends, and taking chances. I wont be giving the blog up
anytime soon, or ever probably, because more than anything else
over the last ten years, this blog has given me a venue to write openly,
meet new people, reflect upon my life, and learn more about myself.
Im really sorry that we lost touch and that my evil roommate never gave
me the message about housesitting, but lets (NONE OF YOU) be strangers
now!

Thanks for sticking with me through this incredibly long-winded update,

and Ill be talking with all of you soon!
Carissa (slightly less than when I started this blog) Jaded