Yesterday I was invited to two simchos. One was a kiddush for the bar mitzvah of a cousin and the second was an aufruf for my friend's son. Since I wanted to catch the Torah Leining of the bar mitzvah boy, I decided to daven at my cousin's shul. After davening, I was invited to the host's house for a kiddush. There, I met cousins from America whom I hadn't seen in years. With all the catching up, the time flew by and I had promised my husband I would return home for lunch at a specific hour. I made my way home, disappointed that it was too late to wish mazal tov to my friend whose shul was about a 20 minute walk.
I resolved to call my friend to explain my absence but she beat me to it. This morning I received a call from her. She told me that she missed my presence and I explained to her the circumstances of my no show. She was understanding and we wished each other continued simchos.
I was so impressed that my friend did not stand on ceremony or become upset with me. Many people wouldn't have bothered to inquire and would have become angry but my friend taught me that making a phone call is a small endeavor to keep a friendship from collapsing.
