Thank you for sharing this heartwarming story about your friendship with Craig. There is so much goodness in this world and we must focus on that. Enjoy the holidays!
What a wonderful story to kick us into the upcoming Holiday weekend. Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas - and to all Happy Holidays for whatever Holiday you celebrate this time of year!
I beat you.. my 2 grade school friends and I have been friends for 68 years. One haas Alzheimer’s now but we still love one another like sisters. Good memories. Thanks , Ken and merry Christmas
this reminds me of three.. likely unrelated things
• I am in the club -- those who are not just in his 60’s but also looks like it
• One of the things you have in the club is ‘lived time’ and memories kind of begins to look like a New Yorker Cover where close is NY City.. the mid-west is compressed into a lot of nothing and then there is Los Angeles. So long ago memories and recent memories stand out and things you say happened 10 years ago, might have happened thirty years ago.
• In the Club you have old friends... but you also realize if you stop on a pull-off on the way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and you meet a couple who are in the club. you will have a conversation about places to go, places each of us have been, joke about eating the other breakfast that they had just started.. and for those two minutes you are friends.
I think this is because when you are in the club, you get it, well for the most part. You have lived enough and gathered enough memories and knowledge that you each have. Sure there are old ignorant trump supporters.. but they made it too.
You can live in a moment amicably you aren’t going to solve the world’s problems.. but you knew you weren’t going to do that. Especially, since after 50-60 years, you didn’t do that
You might not be over the hill, but you know the pace (or gear) you need to get up the hill.. but you are probably over the hill. And still, you have so much ahead of you, just because you know the trail (trials and tribulations) you have been on.
The club lives in ‘the life of one well lived’ if you did it right. You know some of your best stories have happened and have been told many times. But that lets you enjoy all the great wonder of the world.
What a lovely reflection on life-long friendships, and proud members of the “club” many of us belong to now Ed.
And thank you Ken for giving us this glimpse into your life with your buddy Craig and his determination to keep living life fully. Having a childhood to later adulthood friend who knows you inside and out, and can finish your sentences, and fill in forgotten aspects of stories, is rare and wonderful…especially past the mid-life years. That sense of history and connection makes show-stopping medical conditions more bearable… when the “Inner Teenagers” of close friends (and siblings) emerges… with humor and hope for still-better days ahead.
A wonderful tribute to friendship, thank you. I lost my best friend of over 7 decades a couple of years ago. I miss her every day. Your friendship story made me smile thinking, yet again, how lucky we are.
Your Spectrum TV interview tonight was a great review for your new book as well as highlighting the value of a hometown newspaper. Hope it gets repeated over the w/e.
The three of us met at age four 71 years ago when we lived on the same block and although one lives in upstate New York (me), one in Atlanta, GA and one in LA, California we have kept in touch through the years sharing in each others joys and sorrows from graduations, marriages, the birth of children & grandchildren, and loss of loved ones. We make every effort to see each other at least once a year. Old friends are the best of friends!
Thank you for sharing this heartwarming story about your friendship with Craig. There is so much goodness in this world and we must focus on that. Enjoy the holidays!
Agreed.
Thank you for sharing that heartwarming story. It made for a great start to the day! And, what a rascal you were!
Good one.
Old friends are treasures. Thanks for sharing!
What a wonderful story to kick us into the upcoming Holiday weekend. Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas - and to all Happy Holidays for whatever Holiday you celebrate this time of year!
Great story of friendship. I have several 50 + years of friendship and feel grateful to have those long term friendships in my life.
Good friends are like stars, you don’t always see them but you always know they are there!
Love that sentiment.
I wish I could take credit for it, but it was on a little gift plaque a wonderful friend gave to me. But it is lovely!
I beat you.. my 2 grade school friends and I have been friends for 68 years. One haas Alzheimer’s now but we still love one another like sisters. Good memories. Thanks , Ken and merry Christmas
I’m hoping Craig and I will catch up to you one day.
this reminds me of three.. likely unrelated things
• I am in the club -- those who are not just in his 60’s but also looks like it
• One of the things you have in the club is ‘lived time’ and memories kind of begins to look like a New Yorker Cover where close is NY City.. the mid-west is compressed into a lot of nothing and then there is Los Angeles. So long ago memories and recent memories stand out and things you say happened 10 years ago, might have happened thirty years ago.
• In the Club you have old friends... but you also realize if you stop on a pull-off on the way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and you meet a couple who are in the club. you will have a conversation about places to go, places each of us have been, joke about eating the other breakfast that they had just started.. and for those two minutes you are friends.
I think this is because when you are in the club, you get it, well for the most part. You have lived enough and gathered enough memories and knowledge that you each have. Sure there are old ignorant trump supporters.. but they made it too.
You can live in a moment amicably you aren’t going to solve the world’s problems.. but you knew you weren’t going to do that. Especially, since after 50-60 years, you didn’t do that
You might not be over the hill, but you know the pace (or gear) you need to get up the hill.. but you are probably over the hill. And still, you have so much ahead of you, just because you know the trail (trials and tribulations) you have been on.
The club lives in ‘the life of one well lived’ if you did it right. You know some of your best stories have happened and have been told many times. But that lets you enjoy all the great wonder of the world.
And it is never just three things.
What a lovely reflection on life-long friendships, and proud members of the “club” many of us belong to now Ed.
And thank you Ken for giving us this glimpse into your life with your buddy Craig and his determination to keep living life fully. Having a childhood to later adulthood friend who knows you inside and out, and can finish your sentences, and fill in forgotten aspects of stories, is rare and wonderful…especially past the mid-life years. That sense of history and connection makes show-stopping medical conditions more bearable… when the “Inner Teenagers” of close friends (and siblings) emerges… with humor and hope for still-better days ahead.
we all need the gold of the moment
reminiscences and live in a world of so much
Beautiful column, Ken. I’ll be tuning in this evening!
This was lovely and brings back memories of our own relationships from the past. Lynda
A wonderful tribute to friendship, thank you. I lost my best friend of over 7 decades a couple of years ago. I miss her every day. Your friendship story made me smile thinking, yet again, how lucky we are.
I’d like to think Beth is on one of those stars twinkling up there every night, Pam… 🌟
Lovely
Very nice story about two great friends.
Your Spectrum TV interview tonight was a great review for your new book as well as highlighting the value of a hometown newspaper. Hope it gets repeated over the w/e.
The three of us met at age four 71 years ago when we lived on the same block and although one lives in upstate New York (me), one in Atlanta, GA and one in LA, California we have kept in touch through the years sharing in each others joys and sorrows from graduations, marriages, the birth of children & grandchildren, and loss of loved ones. We make every effort to see each other at least once a year. Old friends are the best of friends!