...friend

For centuries, poets and philosophers have written about friendship—that special bond of affection and caring that adds immeasurably to our ability to cope with bad times and expand joy when things go well.

One important aspect of friendship is acceptance conveyed in the proverb "Love is blind; friendship closes its eyes." Another is the capacity of a friend to motivate growth.

I love the line in the movie, As Good As It Gets, when the character played by Jack Nicholson expresses gratitude and amazement at the impact of a new friendship: "You make me want to be a better person."

But to really understand friendship, look into the heart of a 12-year-old girl named Alexa. In a birthday letter to her best friend, she captured the essence of friendship as well as any poet:

Dear Aby, I am sooooo lucky to have you as my friend. 

You are sweet and funny and so much more. 

You are fun to be with. 

You crack me up with laughter and touch my heart with your kindness. 

You have a wonderful ability to know when to offer advice and when to sit in quiet support. 

Time after time, you've come to my rescue and brightened my routine days. 

And time after time, I realize how fortunate I am that my life includes you. 

Everybody should have a friend like you. 

But so far it looks like you are one of a kind! 

Your loving friend, Alexandra Devon Jacobsen

I'm proud that my daughter Abrielle evoked such words of appreciation, and I'm in awe that her 12-year-old friend had the insight and eloquence to express herself so well.

-michael josephson