Friendship
To keep current on important news, I read the New York Times online every day. They always feature one lengthy human-interest article. One story last week was about two elderly Chinese gentlemen who met in a homeless shelter in New York City and became best friends.
As children, my younger brother David and I played together (and fought together). When mom brought him home from the hospital, I was no longer the center of attention. Did that bother me?
You bet. After observing him carefully for a few months I said to Mom, “He doesn’t seem to be useful for anything. Take him back.” She ignored my request.
David loved to play ping pong. Knowing this, I would only agree to play with him if the loser took the winner’s turn washing the dinner dishes. Since I was older, I usually won. That wasn’t a bad trade-off, I thought, since playing ping pong is far more fun than washing the dishes.
As adults, we became best friends. David, who was very quick on his feet, was an outstanding trial attorney. He represented me at one deposition in which he flawlessly shielded me from the unwarranted and intrusive questions of opposing counsel. I still remember feeling extremely grateful to my little brother for his protection. By then I had unequivocally revised my original opinion. He was, in fact, very useful.
Almost twenty years ago he didn’t appear at work, and his office staff asked his ex-wife to check on him. We had last seen him the weekend before at a 4th of July party.
Carolyn called me from his house, where she found his body. Apparently, he died from a totally unexpected heart attack. He was sixty years old.
I was devastated. For six months, I had trouble functioning. I have never fully recovered from his loss and haven’t had a male friend that I felt as close to since.
Reading the article in the NY Times reminded me of the importance of friendships. And so, I made a promise to myself to appreciate my friends more fully. We don’t need to wait for Thursday June 8, 2023 (which is Best Friends Day in the United States).
I urge you to hold your friends close. They may not be around forever.
Alan
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