Friends

I am leaving the comfort of good friends and generous hospitality in Arizona and heading to California to connect with other good friends and complete my journey across America. Some of the folks I will see are newer friends and some have a fine season on them, all are honored and loved.

I remember when I was in high school a teacher said to the class that we would be lucky to have five good friends in our lifetime. I thought he was crazy and looked around at all the kids I called friends.

As one moves from teenage years to the twenties, into the thirties and decades beyond, the experience validates the high school teacher's statement.

People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

Five good longtime friends are unique. I’m certain I have five and more and I am very lucky.

Friendship begins with humor, fun light-hearted one-liners and grows rapidly through mutual interests into a bond of trust, truth and honesty. In the trust, there is a deep mutual respect for the gifts of the other. In the truth, there is the acknowledgement that if one succeeds in anything, both do and in the honesty, there is a simple sharing of the pain and pleasure of life.

I hope you are as fortunate as I am.