ENDURING FRIENDSHIPS

Written by Peter Decato, Esq.

You’ve heard the term “old friends.” I think the term “old friends” is a strange term. I think it strange because “old friends” are friends whose friendships have endured over time. In that sense, there is nothing “old” about these relationships. These are special friends because the bonds of friendship are unlikely ever to be split. In that sense, “old friends” are unique.

These friendships are part of our fabric. These are the friends who have helped make us who we are. These friends were there as we grew as individuals. These friends may even have been the
reason we are the way we are today. In the past week or so, I’ve had occasion to take a trip down memory lane. I had lunch
with one old friend and I called another.

Then, I had dinner with many old friends following a celebration of my wife’s 50th high school graduation. My wife’s old friends are, more or less, my old friends as well. Finally, my office had an Open House this weekend. Many other old friends stopped in.
They did so to see the Old Convent – the former home of the Sisters of Mercy. This is a place, along with the Sacred Heart School, where many of our friendships were formed.

As these events unfolded – the lunch, the reunion and the Open House – I found myself happy, almost giddy. I was happy to see these people, be with these people, share stories with these people and laugh with these people as we recalled event after event that had occurred in our lives. There was no mention of the bad times that occurred during the times we had been
together. No mention of the arguments we may have had or the mistreatment one or the other of us had wreaked upon the other. It was just good to be together again.

The Class of 65 created a magnificent float. That float was the result of the combined genius and work effort of dozens of former classmates. As I looked at the float and I saw the people who created the float, I couldn’t find a flaw in the group. They were happy to be together again; happy to be working on a project again; and happy to be competing again for the best
float.

All and all, I thought, we didn’t turn out too bad. Each of us, you could see, were independent thinkers. Each of us had learned to take care of ourselves and our families. Each of us, I thought were good citizens – people who had given back to their communities in one way or another.

All of this made me think of a moment I had when I was living in a fraternity house. After a night of fairly heavy drinking, 12 fraternity brothers went to sleep in an area known as the deck. Just as we were about to get to sleep, there was a voice that cried out: “You know there isn’t one of us that is going to amount to anything in life!” All who heard the cry that night wholeheartedly agreed. In fact, given the way I felt at that moment, I was sure of it. But I was
wrong.

All of the people I have let into my life and who I regard as my friends, I find to be truly amazing people. All of them, in their own way, are extraordinary – at least in my judgment. That feeling is why these friendships have endured because they feel the same way about me.