That's What Friends Are For

I have three friends-- who shall remain nameless-- who have not seen each other often over the years, but who remain good friends, nonetheless. Soon, they will get together for a weekend or so to do who knows what. Whatever friends do, I suppose.

When I learned about this forthcoming event, I was both piquantly delighted and insanely jealous. I don't have that many friends, and certainly very few with whom I can spend a weekend (or, perhaps more accurately, would want to spend a weekend.)

This is nothing against the friends that I have; they are good enough as friends go. It's more a matter of time, distance, juxtaposition, and circumstance, I think. I suspect that most of us live this way.

We have jobs, families, responsibilities, things to do. We might imagine that a carefree weekend with a good friend or two would be a worthwhile adventure. But we just never seem quite to get "a round tuit," as another friend of mine says.

("If I could just find one of those round tuits," my friend laments, "there are so many things I could catch up on!" My friend is amused by this.)

As I advance toward the latter half of my life, I am beginning to wonder if more of us ought not to act like my three friends.

What the heck, whatever it takes...let's plan a get-together and do more than plan it. Let's do it.

Let's carve a slice out of life and spend it on each other. Let's drink the wine and toast the extravagance of the moment. Let's savor this bit of the all-too-brief appearance we make on the grand stage that is living.

I think you're on to something, ladies. I think you've figured it out.

That's what friends are for.