
Life is a sweeter, stronger,
fuller, more gracious thing
for a friend's existence,
whether he be near or far.
If the friend is close at hand,
that is best;
but if he is far away
he is still there
to think of, to wonder about,
to hear from, to write to,
to share life and experience with,
to serve, to honor, to admire, to love.
(Arthur Christopher Benson, 1862-1925)