Roy’s Sunday Letter for November 1, 2026
Friends And Friendship
My boyhood friendships began on the playground and the playing of games. These initial friendships began mostly with boys, formed through clubs, hobbies, sharing the secrets of youth, and growing up together in a slower, safer time.
Through my school years, it was these broadening friendships that taught me about resolving conflicts, the rewards of cooperation, and where I belonged in my smaller world. Friendships meant I was not alone to absorb the challenges of a fast-changing American society. Friendships served as a buffer to news reports of individuals, parts of the country and issues different than my youthful understanding.
As I aged into adulthood, work, offices and the mix of gender, race, and age brought the opportunity for new faces, backgrounds, values, and expectations of communications. Acquaintances and social friends were new, along with the beginnings of the digital world, which continues to change us all. Women are better, more skilled, in the dynamics of friendships than men, at least this man.
My friends, as with you, are no longer only local but have become more expansive. Support, encouragement, and learning are not limited to a circle of friends. Today’s platform and sites connect us, move us forward, but with more caution and risk. Beth and I are blessed to have trusted friends from our youth, college, first employments. and across years of our lives. We also have young friends, graduated and now in their first jobs.
Bob, Dave, Diann, Ron, Michael, Linda, Maurine, Frank, Debbie, Tom, Roy, Peter, Meg and Marcia know me well, both the achievements and the disappointments. Each are important to my emotional, physical, and spiritual health, as hopefully I am with theirs. We remain a stable presence with each other in our transitions of later life.
I have been blessed in my life from having, sharing, and maturing with friends and friendships. I hope I have returned the support and encouragement of so many far so long.
Roy, knowing I am the better in a circle of friends
I know I am better with my circle of friends. If you have children they may be scattered all over the country. Our nuclear families are not the same. I had day surgery recently and Beth and Roy were at my house at 5:30 AM to make sure I was there on time, that is true friendship. I just moved from a house I expected to live in for the rest of my life, but the friends I have at The Closet came day after day to help me pack and then proceeded to help me unpack at my new home. Every day a friend of 50 years texts me to see how I am doing, not family, friends. It is the tough, challenging times that make us realize our friends become our families, and on many occasions they mean much more.
There is a cross over point when the valuing, the committment to each other is present, and will gain depth with each new experience.
So it is with we 3……I, we, are blessed to be and do so…..Roy
Jesus promised the disciples who gave up jobs and social circles to follow him, that in the soon coming Kingdom they would multiply family & friends. (Interesting, he didn’t promise to even replace their income.) I am an only child. I have leaned into the promise of siblings within the Kingdom. Roy, you have become another wise uncle. Many have become mentors, friends, and part of my support circle. Thank you for this reflection and sparking the gratitude I have for all those important people in my life.
We 2 may not have been Called
We stumbled into each other on the path, both rocky and smooth path.
In someways we have become “handrails” with the other……and that is good and healthy for us both.
Roy
You have showered us with your goodness, your creativity, your inquisitive mind and your kindness. And let us add your generous and open heartedness. X/O
You are the model!