Life long friends...

I have some life long (well, almost) friends I would like to introduce to you. Well, while they aren't life long, and they aren't really friends, they seem like it, and it very much felt like it when I stopped in front of their wonderfully familiar faces yesterday in a bookshop. You see, these friends are a group of people in a painting, who happened to appear on the cover of a new book. The painting is one by Renoir, called "Luncheon of the Boating Party"


There is so much I love about this painting, I love their obvious friendship, they are relaxed, comfortable, happy, content to be with each other in fellowship, over a good meal, chatting away in a beautiful setting, spending quality time together.

I have often wondered how much this painting has shaped who I am today. When I was about 12, my family went down to Canberra to see the latest impressionist, or Renoir exhibition, and mum had said that she would buy me a print of one of the paintings. I don't know how I came to choose this one, because back then, I was terrible at choosing anything, but this is the one I walked away with. Miracle of miracles, Mum and I later on went to the picture framers, and had it framed and since then it has lived on my wall, wherever I lived in Sydney, as I grew up.

Even now, I look at this group of people, and reminded of the fellowship that each of us is privileged to share, should we choose to accept it. It lies in stark contrast to the movie I saw yesterday, of the people Elizabeth met on her journey, and of their search for meaning, fellowship and wholeness. I guess we often shun true fellowship out of self preservation, or wanting to be independent, but it's nice to finally arrive in a place where you're 'home' with the people who know you best, and can kick off your shoes and....just be you:)