A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. ~ Walter Winchell

So last week I took a day off of work to spend the day with a couple of friends in San Francisco. We all need a friend who is actually there when we are at a our worst. That’s my friend Kara. About twenty years ago, for the second time in my life I hit bottom. A relationship had blown up and it sort of just shattered everything for me. She called me one night and I fell apart on the phone, so she called again the next night, and the next, and the next… Honestly, she made it possible for me to hold it together, even as tentatively as I did at that time. The simple fact is, I probably trust her more than anyone I know, and I owe her a lot for what she did. She’s a great friend, the kind of friend who without hesitation will tell you if she thinks your wrong, question what you’re doing, or ask you heavy pointed questions. The thing is, no matter how direct the question, or how hard or deep the question, you always know it comes from a place of love. I endeavor to be this person for others, to live up to her example.

For your good friends, the people you’ve made your selective family, you want only good things for them. At one point Kara started dating a guy named Jimmy, it started to get serious and I hoped he was a good guy, I should have known better. When I met him, it was immediately obvious that my friend had found someone just like her. As such, Jimmy and I have also become very close and I consider him to be family as well. Even if he occasionally gives me ridiculously huge smiles in photographs.

You know when you are truly close to people, that when you get together the only plan needs to be, to be together. Our plan for the day in San Francisco was simple, walk, talk and eat. We spent nine hours walking around San Francisco, taking the occasional break to sit on benches with great views like in Mission Dolores Park, or comfortable chairs in places like Golden Gate Park and when the spirit moved us we ate. Kara had a list of place she wanted to try and we made visits to Nopalito, Lokma and Otra. Three fantastic places that I highly recommend. The beauty of the day was not just everything San Francisco had to show us, but the opportunity to just talk for hours and hours with two good friends and amazing people. It was without a doubt, the best day I’ve had in a long time.

Find time for these sorts of times and you’ll have happy days my friends. ~ Rev Kane