One good question usually leads to another, doesn’t it? In her Photo Detective blog, Maureen Taylor asked “What children’s book influenced your life?” I immediately thought of “Wind in the Willows” for its exploration of the beauty and power of friendship. You can go to Maureen’s blog to find out her answer and share your own choice. But before you go, I have another question, well, two really. Who are your true friends and why?
The value of friendship has been discussed by philosophers throughout time. Some argue that friendship is good for the individual. Friendship is life-enhancing and makes us feel more alive. We get more absorbed in activities and get more out of them when we do them with friends. And friends are mirrors that show us the goodness of our own lives. (Aristotle, I think). Others take the view that friendship is good for society. Friendship promotes the general good because it makes us consider the welfare of others.
All good, I say. As I get older friends matter more to me. Last night I had dinner with one dear friend and tomorrow I will have breakfast with another. Both have kept the bridges between us in good repair for decades. Sometimes I think they are Mole and Ratty to my Toad. For that I am grateful.
In personal histories, people often neglect friendship as a value to write about and share with future generations. So here’s the question again, who are your friends and what do they mean to you?
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