“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.”

Tennessee "Tuxedo" Williams said that quote above, and I have to agree.  

I am, by nature, gregarious, and also, I enjoy meeting new people and maintaining friendships old and new.  People are endlessly fascinating to me, because each and every one of our fellow citizens is like an artichoke.  You keep finding layer after layer of good things, and it's always fun to discover that someone you know happens to be the world champion in hopscotch.  

Scotch has a lot to do with a lot of people I know, come to think of it.

But really, finding out that one of my parents' friends was a man who earned a handful of ribbons and stars at the Battle of the Bulge was a big deal to me.  Everyone is more than they seem.

And sometimes, just being what we seem to be is more than enough.

I bring all this up because of something stunning on my facebook page.  I noticed the other night that I have a stunning amount of friends there.  Now look, as BHO would say: they're not all close boon companions or anything.  In fact, you could categorize them pretty well in five groups:

•  really close friends!
• kinfolk by blood or marriage
• people I have known since I was a barefoot boy with cheek of tan
• people I have never met but we friended because of fic's (friends in common)
• people I went to school with or knew long ago 

 
I am a lucky man.  I look at the tiny pictures of my friends and for each one, I recall a dozen happy memories right off the bat. Maybe I'm crazy, but I'd rather have my friends than all the money in the world.  Friends can say nice things and support us when we're down, pat us on the back in good times and bad, and make a crumby day into a slice of crumb-cake in a jiffy. 

We have Mother's Day and Father's Day and Arbor Day and Doris Day: all great celebrations.  I think that at least one day a month, we all should take time to thank our friends for being our friends.

Thanks, friends! I appreciate it!