This has been brought home to me a number of times over the past month or so.

First, there was this young woman I met in France, who was going through a troubling time. She posted a phrase in French, and even with my limited knowledge of that language I knew that it was beautiful. I immediately had one of my French colleagues at work translate it for me.

"Serre moi si j'ai besoin de toi, soutiens moi si je baisse les bras, regarde moi dans les yeux si j'y arrive pas & dit moi que tu m'aimes parce que moi je t'aime."

Or, in English, almost as beautiful...

"Hold me if I need you, support me when I feel like giving up, look into my eyes if I can’t bring myself to look into yours and tell me you love me because I love you."

I had never heard such a poetic plea for help before in my life. The fact that someone could reach out in that manner, through an electronic medium, and touch me (and many others) so profoundly gave me pause, and pushed me to think about my friendships in a different manner.

Then, last weekend, my Father came to visit. I gather together with my relatives very infrequently. But, no matter how infrequent, we pick up where we left off. Time does not seem to be important. The bonds between us cover everything, and all that is left is the joy of each other's company.

Then, leaving my house, I drove 5 hours to camp with friends that I see, at most, once a year. Often, not even that. There, we sat around what might have been a fire, had we lit it. But we didn't - we sat in incomplete darkness - and drank and ate, and talked and laughed. Especially, we laughed.

I am so busy. Yet, this year, I've taken more time for friends, new and old, and am much richer for it.