I have just finished a remarkable book about two remarkable women.
It allows readers an intimate glimpse into award-winning journalist Nina Totenberg's nearly 50-year friendship with the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
And while Totenberg's "Dinners With Ruth -- A Memoir on the Power of Friendships" takes perusers along on her personal journey of discovery about the character of an astute and honorable woman of the law, it also permits us to see inside the world of National Public Radio's dedicated and hardworking legal affairs correspondent who knows full well the importance of writing and speaking about today' complicated issues.
But, most importantly, Totenberg reminds us of how vital friends are -- in good times and bad. She prompts us to consider the friends we had early on in our existence and the new friends who have become integral parts of our milieu.
In following the development of the author's and the justice's relationship, we see the importance of sharing and caring about others with whom we have much in common.
In digesting Totenberg's touching treatise on friendship, we make a vow to tell our own dear allies and confidantes how critical they are to our well-being. We can never truly measure the value of what they do for us but we must try to somehow express our gratitude for their forbearance and understanding.
We must give thanks every day for the phone calls and texts, for the invitations to lunches, dinners, and entertainment opportunities.
From Totenberg and Ginsburg, we also learn how crucial it is to disagree with friends without being disagreeable. Surely, it is understandable that even the closest of pals will occasionally have differences of opinion on various subjects. Learning from one another is one more benefit of honest communication with persons we respect.
Laughter and tears are inevitably part of long-term friendships. Gaining friends is always uplifting and losing them is extremely hard. The most difficult times of my retirement years have been the passing of good and loyal chums, alter egos, best buds. But, thankfully, kind and thoughtful souls have stepped in to fill those voids.
To have a friend, one must be a friend.
That's especially true when there is so much uncertainty about what tomorrow will bring.
Instead of just wishing for riches and quick solutions to challenging problems, let's work on broadening our cadre of friends and work together for good.