The well-known words of Sam Walter Foss, written more than a hundred years ago, inspire us with their simple eloquence:
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
Where the race of men go by—
They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish—so am I.
Then why should I sit in the scorner’s seat
Or hurl the cynic’s ban?—
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.1
This old world needs less criticism and more understanding; less condemnation and more comfort. In a word, we all need more friendship. When we’re discouraged, a good friend can lift our spirits. When we’re struggling with an important decision, a wise friend can help us sort through the options. When all seems dark, a true friend will listen and shed the light of hope. And when we feel alone and anxious, a loyal friend will offer support.
Two pianists who both suffered disabling strokes illustrated this principle well. Rather than let each other give in to their illness, they decided that one of them would play the piano with her right hand while the other played with her left hand. Together these friends performed across the country and built bridges not only between each other but also with the people who’ve been delighted by their music.2
For some, friendship seems to come so effortlessly; others have to work a little harder at building bridges. But everyone needs and loves friends. If we feel lonely and friendless, we can begin by showing interest in other people: inviting them into our conversations, including them in our activities, listening to them without jumping to conclusions. The surest path to real friendship is reaching out to others in kindness and love, recognizing that two can be better than one.
Program #4068
1 In Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations, ed. Suzy Platt (1993), 136.
2 See John Marks Templeton, Worldwide Laws of Life (1997), 118.