There are those moments in life, those ones that sparkle like little grains of crystal sugar, those moments when you meet a friend for the first time. Whether the friendship lasts a lifetime, through deaths and illnesses and pain and babies and joy and fun, or whether it lasts just a few weeks or a summer is less important than the act of starting a friendship itself. Sometimes you know right away when you meet someone who you are going to be friends. Sometimes it takes a while for that fascination to grow. Sometimes friendship is pure pleasure and sometimes it is shot through with pain and tension like a complex woven tapestry. Most of my friendships involve food – many a good relationship over the millenia was cemented by a shared meal. On days when I haven’t had enough sleep and am feeling vulnerable and lonely I worry about not having close enough friends. Enough for what? Just enough. But then I call a friend, send and email to another – and lo and behold! – I’ve got friends a plenty. And they are totally all worth having. Thanks, my friends; current, past, and future.