A Toast to Friendship

On Sunday morning, before making the long drive to Susan Song, I had the honor of sharing breakfast with Mister Ginger, PoMonkey, and Bobby. I met each of them almost twenty years ago in college and they have each scattered across the country in successful careers. They graciously (and expensively) flew back for Kadie’s party and this hour was the only time we’d have to share in conversation.

We talked a lot and laughed even more. (At one point, Bobby almost sent me to an early grave at IHOP as he channeled Sean Connery from that old SNL Jeopardy skit). Our conversation reminded me again of the importance of friendship. At one point during the weekend, Mister Ginger made the comment that as the years pass along, our friendships remain one of the greatest parts of our lives.

In a society where romantic/erotic love is held as the ideal, our culture all too often denigrates or worse, simply ignores friendship. Yet in some ways, friendship is just as powerful a form of love. C. S. Lewis devotes an important part of his book The Four Loves to the topic of friendship. In it he notes that "Eros will have naked bodies; Friendship naked personalities." There is an accountability and an honesty in the best of friendships that each of us desperately need.

Or as another great Teacher once said: "Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other…"