« Dwayne Wayne | Main | Greek Round-Up for Thursday, March 10 »
For My Boy, Jon, when he was Jean-Ton
On Friendship
Kahlil Gibran
And a youth said, Speak to us of
Friendship.
And he answered, saying:
Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap
with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you
seek him for peace.
When your friend speaks his rnind you fear not the
'nay' in your own mind, nor do you withhold the
'ay'.
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen
to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all
desires, all expectations are born and shared, with
joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer
in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is
clearer from the plain.
And let there be no purpose in friendship save the
deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its
own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and
only the unprofitable is caught.
And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know
its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him
with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be
laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its
morning and is refreshed.
I never thought that one day, you would be my oldest friend. Maybe you'll never read this -- maybe you'll never know just what kind of effect you have on my life. You're a man, dude -- a grown man. You look good. I can't believe we've come this far.
You know I'm proud of you. You didn't take the path I wanted you to take, but you made your own way. Thank you for showing me that there is more than one way to acheive a goal. You keep my head small when I'm in danger of becoming a snob.
You're like my younger big brother -- in so many ways, you're beyond me. But in age, I've still got you by a few months.
I am so glad you are still part of my life after all these years, man.
Posted by Rashid on March 9, 2005 10:15 PM
Comments
Man...none of my friends necessarily ever made me evoke words so deep, but thinking about it I guess that for a few, they are applicable and that's a blessing. Celebrate your friendships man.
Commented by Diddy on March 10, 2005 12:08 PM