Sitting in the back of a Lyft, watching miles of road roll past me, I found myself reflecting on friendship with Zach Bryan’s new album serving as my soundtrack.
I was coming from an evening out with old friends. Old in the sense I’ve known them most of my adult life. People who I used to see everyday but now see maybe once or twice a year.
There is a sweet familiarity when getting together with friends who knew you before. Before marriage, before children, before success, before failure, before…
As the road stretched on I felt so damn lucky to have a host of friends cobbled together from every stage of my life. Dozens of people who I could count on for unwavering support, wise counsel, or a good time. Friends who regardless of when we last spoke would be there for me in a heartbeat if I needed them and visa versa.
I thought of each of them on that ride, my line of friends seemingly equaling the length of the long white lines that stretched for the ten miles drive. How blessed.
When I finally arrived home – my wife and children fast asleep – one final furry friend gave me a wide eyed welcome. While I would never equate the friendship of a person to a pup, I will say there was a familiarity to be found in his kind eyes implying, “Of course, I am here for you.”
And that is the beauty of friendship – old, new or in between. While we independently manage life’s complexities, challenges and demands, mutual comfort can be found knowing we are there for each other. To quote the 19th century essayist, Lilian Whiting, “To be rich in friends is to be poor in nothing.”
This Week’s Recommendation: Listen to the James Taylor classic, “You’ve Got a Friend” and remind yourself of how many people in your life would “come running’ if you needed them too.
Consider sending this to an old friend… with an invitation to get together.