Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

Last night a friend in my writing group gave me a ride home after it was over.  She said something interesting:  "I value the writing in the group but I treasure the people in the group as much or more".  I replied that we had all known each other since our kids were tiny, which is thirty years or more.  And I noted that we really got each others history.  Three women in the group are widows, and we knew and loved their husbands and now witness their single life and adjustments as well as lingering loss and grief.  We've witnessed each others becoming grandparents.  I've lost a sibling.  We've all lost both parents since we first met each other.  There is a trust that has been built brick by brick.  We are not a support group yet of course we are.  Not just for our writing struggles, but for our lives.  And whenever there is a crisis we drop the writing talk and open the discussion for whomever needs listeners and a safe place to express herself.  My friend felt all of this last night, and I have the benefit of her sharing to make me more aware of the treasure of this group, these women, my sisters in arms.