a friend of mine i chanced to meet, heigh-ho, heigh-ho, heigh-ho

i can't seem to warm up. henry, on the other hand, runs around in his underwear (which is normally full of all sorts of treasures -- sword, hippo, eye-patch, coasters, etc.).

i was sad to hear a sister tell another sister (in a kindermusik class) that they "weren't friends, sisters aren't friends." some aren't, i suppose, and i've no sisters to speak of, but siblings should be friends, no? i tell henry and jude that they are best friends daily. they kiss each other, help each other, play together as best friends do. doesn't the idea of a "friend who sticks closer than a brother" imply that brotherly closeness is comparable, and is indeed greater, than ordinary friendship?



i suppose i'm no one to ask or analyze -- my brothers and i fought like wild dogs, but we still loved each other. and as far as friends go, well, i've few friends in this world who are not blood or bond relation, and no true friends closer than chicago, no one that i see regularly, anyway. and while i do hope that henry and jude will make friends in this life i really hope and pray that they will be friends with each other.

in my experience friendships are often based on similar circumstances in which the two people exist: college, work, camp, etc. and when the circumstances change: graduation, change of jobs, the bus ride out of the woods and back to the city, the friendships dwindle down to nothing but a christmas card, if you're lucky. no one person is really at fault, it's just the way it works. we're bonded by similar joys and struggles and commiseration, not by anything truly real that makes for something substantial. and that's okay. i really don't mourn any friendship that has faded into nothing. but i think i'd mourn a brother that i didn't recognize on the street.

the wind blows cold so we're off to shut the windows and steep the tea.