Today I mailed yet another birthday card to one of my oldest friends, who has been in my life since 10th grade . . . and that is a very long time indeed. And I marveled, not for the first time, at the longevity of my relationships with just a handful of people, and how lucky I feel that we found each other.

People come and go throughout our lives, and it’s hard to pinpoint what makes some so special that they never leave, even when life carries us in different directions. Some of my favorite people are those with whom I seemed at first to have nothing in common; yet when we met, something just clicked, filling a void that I didn’t even know existed. And I am forever grateful that it did.

I like this explanation of the phenomenon we call “friendship,” written by novelist, screenwriter, editor and columnist Jay McInerney:

“The capacity for friendship is God’s way of apologizing for our families.”

– Jay McInerney, “The Last of the Savages”

I can relate to that.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/11/26