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A Friend and a Brother

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (Proverbs 17:17)

I was blessed to be able to connect with five of my best friends this past weekend.  I’ve known them most of my life – some as far back as second grade.  From the first “Z Man!” it didn’t take long to revert to that child-like side of me – the one spewing one saying after another we made up some three decades ago – and loving every minute of it. 

We’re still the ultra-competitive bunch giving every last drop of energy to pull out the Monopoly victory or a win on the bocce court tucked beautifully in a California vineyard.  Nobody has ever summoned my competitive will more than these guys – either in the classroom, athletic field, or board game; and few have ever raised my frustration level as high (especially when at the losing end of something).

But few have ever been there for me as much as these guys – in the good times and the bad.  From dropping everything to attend my wedding, to dropping everything to be there for my Dad’s funeral (and then being the ones to pour my soul out to after putting up a brave face for months after losing him).

We’re all spread out across the country now and we may only see each other once every few years, but as the quote says:  "Good friends are like stars; you don't always see them but you know they are there."  Amen.

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