Friends for Life

I recently celebrated a milestone birthday. People make a big deal of the birthdays ending in 0, but it’s just a number. I know some very old 30-somethings and some very young 60-somethings. You are as young as you feel.

When I look back on my life and accomplishments, one of the things for which I am most proud is the friendships I’ve kept over the years. I’ve lived different places and worked many jobs, but making and keeping friends has always been important to me.

My first thought when asked about where I’ve lived and worked, isn’t about the physical house or building or what I did there. It’s about the people. Friends and family. Colleagues. Fellow volunteers. Players I coached. The people have always mattered most.

Just the other day a long-time friend who has had physical challenges her entire life threw a large party for those special people in her life. She booked a banquet room at a nice restaurant, hired a DJ and photographer, and treated her family and friends to an epic party. It was like a wedding for one… and it was a wonderful celebration of love and friendship.

I felt special being invited to this event by a friend I have known since I was 10 years old. It gave me the opportunity to celebrate life with some people that have been important to me for more than 50 years. People from the old neighborhood. Classmates and Little League teammates. People who danced at my wedding and I at theirs. And together we grew up and celebrated births and special moments returning to the old neighborhood for celebrations, as well as funerals and farewells.

I’m proud to say I have good friends from grade school, high school, and college. Not just Facebook friends, but people I go out of my way to bond with and see whenever possible. I remain connected with colleagues from multiple jobs over various decades. ?I’ve stayed in the lives of people who have coached alongside me and those who played on my teams.? I relish our past and plan for future moments together.

I’ve been blessed to know so many amazing people in my life. And because of these meaningful friendships, I’ve never felt truly alone. That doesn’t mean I have not felt heartache or sadness or regrets. But in my weakest moments, I have been comforted by those who have been there for me… and would be there if I called, just as I would for them.

My parents taught me so many years ago to have a friend you need to be a friend. And that may be difficult to do when you move away, have a large family, work a lot of hours and volunteer. Life gets in the way of friendships… if you let it.

Cheers to the people throughout my life who have picked me up countless times without even knowing it and without me having to ask. I hope to always bask in the warmth of your smile and play like a child on the shore of your laugh.