On the concept of “five closest friends.”
I had a thought about friendship, from an unrelated story in the New York Times (16 August 2006). In the story, Senator Richardson says only one of his five closest friends is in politics:
Bill Richardson, New Mexico’s governor, says that only one of his five closest friends is in politics. “You think of political friends as transitory friends,” says Mr. Richardson, who also might run for president in 2008. He counts Mr. Lieberman among his compadres, but says he is supporting Mr. Lamont.
Who are our five closest friends? Where do they come from in our lives?
I’ll wager most of our closest friends come from our early school days.
Then we get friends from work, and work places. Yet work place friends, whom we see all day, every day, how much are they our “closest friends?"
Then sometimes we get friends from our churches or neighbors.
Finally, we get friends through our families—our families become our friends.
Often your mate or companion becomes one of your closest friends.
Many of us don't have "five closest friends." It's said most people have an average of just two close friends.
In truth, if you have one close friend, you have a world.
And if you don't have one close friend, then start with this idea: you can be your own best friend.