For my Friends

My grandfather introduced me to James A. Michener’s quote from his book ‚Space‘:

„…you and I live on a minor planet attached to a minor star, at the far edge of a minor galaxy. We live here briefly, and when we’re gone, we’re forgotten. And one day the galaxies will be gone, too. The only morality that makes sense is to do something useful with the brief time we’re allotted.”

Long I had been drawn primarily to the notion conveyed by Michener’s quote of time passing and our lives being insignificant at most. Thus, encouraging us to make the most out of the little we have. Lately the ‚you and I‚ directed my attention to another aspect of the same quote, to another aspect of our mere existence, as I began to wonder, who you and I were.

This is to honor my friends, who came to be part of my brief act here on earth:

Isn’t the transformation astonishing, how an unfamiliar passerby turns into a recognizable face? One that we could pick out among many. One that I am able to describe to another. The features, the colors of the eyes, a particular gait or a silent conduct, the wave of a hand or the way a smile appears and disappears. As a name emerges and we meet yet again, our smiles seek out the other. When did we agree on the mutual term ‚friend‘ to besiege our relation and turn it into more than a series of chance encounters? I cannot say. If I were to guess, I would presume our friendship succeeded a felt connection: doors, slightly ajar, slipping wordlessly into a parallel universe. Behind the door’s gentle swing, as trust gradually – sometimes abruptly – loosened the hinges, I found a curiosity for exploring, how you render meaning to your life.

My friend, I want to know, how you wake into your body each morning as the day summons you. What is the first thought that rushes through your mind? Do you coax it to come forth or is your morning slate filled with the soft murmur of a thought breaking the surface merely by the rocking motions of everyday life? Tell me of the depths of your breath as it unfolds within you. I want to know of the frail onset of pressure as your fingertips brush over the morning dew. Halt for just one second to reveal the feeling you are overcome with as you step your soul into the summer breeze.

There is no denying mine has been a blessed life. I had every opportunity to explore the world near and far. I was a frequent guest in the visible world, and to this day pause to let the fragrance of a rose playfully touch my nose. I also continue to be an persistent visitor to the unseeable world. One does not exclude the other.

And here I am, devoted to uplifting friendship to a sphere of utter importance. I have said it often: profound human connection is the essence of my life.

I am inclined to share my life in spoken words , yet feel that silence between friends is far from awkward. As I break my silence today I do so only to reveal my gratitude and fondness for those, who have touched me deeply. On occasion I have wished for an opportunity to bring my friends together for a single day of my life. I would stand amidst all and express each friendship in words, wrapped in memories of meeting, conversing, and pronounced closeness.

Would you forgive me for saying that some of your birthdates, even some of your names, have fallen to my neglect? I think you will. They are of little consequence. I know you too remember how our paths intertwined as we danced across the floorboard of your apartment high above the Plaza de Armas, or our silent encounter notwithstanding the language barrier, which, now that I think of it, allowed us to meet exactly as we did. Or you, young soul, poised on a narrow beam, spirits high, running and jumping, then vast asleep, resting in my arms. Or you, a giant, waking out of troubled teenage years to grow into a loving father. Yes, you I saw in the soft moonlight reaching around a corner, a sledge under your frame, bliss in your eyes, a jolt of life seeping into your very heart. I am with you, my friend, as I embrace your being fully, your touch, your scent, your immeasurable love for life. Often, I think of you. Now you and I try to outrun the other, rolling dice, measuring first our voices , then our friendship as we watch the boats floating up and down the Rhine. I have longed to meet you again in person, but trust that our spirits spiral through time more swiftly than we ever could. In those cherished moments , they roam freely beyond the Bitterroot Mountains, just to greet you in a city of millions. A bike, a sombrero and the half-moon lurking in the basket of dreams. These riches continue to be my everyday gifts.

We connect in many corners of this world, some far some near, always in an exceptional time and space. Every rendezvous colorful and sweet, every endearing meeting face to face, heart to heart, yes, each an appointment conducted wholly by the universe, one that we could not have set up willingly. So here we are: You and I. Thank you dear friend for being part of my life, for being You, for being.

Love.