A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hold a true friend with both your hands.

— Nigerian proverb

IN TODAY'S SESSION...

When the children opened the Wonder Box today, they found a friendship bracelet. We talked about the intangible gift of friendship. Friends can be people we have known a long time or people we just met.

In the story, How Coyote Lost His Songs, Music and Dance, a coyote decides that he doesn't want to be around his friends. As he abandons his friends to go off and be alone, he loses his ability to sing, dance and make music. Through a dream, he learns how his friends enrich his life in such a way that they inspire his music, song and dance. The children made "friendship flowers" to share with someone special. They also sang the song, "Make New Friends."

EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about...

How do you make friends as a family? Have you vacationed and met people whom you have kept in touch with? Even if you don't see friends you meet on vacation again, recall how they made the vacation more fun by sharing experiences. Think about the friends you have made in your life, and talk about why it is important to have friends.

EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try...

... reaching out to an old friend you have not spoken to in a long time. Talk as a family about someone you all remember, perhaps from an old neighborhood, a previous school or job, or another congregation. Contact them and ask how they are doing. You can have your child draw a picture to send to that friend.