My Three Finger Belief.
I've read that if you reach the end of your life and can hold up three fingers to represent the number of people that were true friends, you were a very fortunate person. I'm talking a true to the core friend, a person that you would trust with anything and everything. Friendships fade in and fade out in life, we all know that. Heck, I know family members that have given up on one another... fathers and sons, brothers and sisters. So to say you have have a person in your life that would be there for you regardless of whatever may come, well, I believe that's a remarkable testament to that persons character.
I have a friend that qualifies a such. My pal Dan. We met almost 25 years ago now, and it wasn't long after I was introduced to him that I learned he was an honest to goodness first-rate man. A family-first man with ethics and values second to none. And he remains that person to this day, it's in his DNA. He is without question one of the people in my life that I admire greatly and strive to be like. Over the years together we've covered hundreds of miles on rivers and trails. We've spent countless hours around campfires, countless nights chilling out on granite shorelines watching the satellites track overhead talking about our love of family and every other topic imaginable. And you can ask him… we were practically hit by lightening together at one point. His has become one of my greatest friendships ever. My brother by choice, not by blood.
When I reach the end of my line, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my Brother D will be represented on one of my three fingers.