On Friendship

This past Saturday morning, I sat down at the table with my breakfast, and I found myself perusing the nearby bookshelves for anything to read besides that which was sitting in front of me. I saw Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet lounging casually on the bottom shelf, just waiting for me to put off the other readings. I read the book in just under two hours, and I highly recommend it if you are seeking a fast, uplifting read. Among the sections that spoke to me most of all were those "On Freedom," "On Friendship," "On Talking," and "On Time." The following section is from "On Friendship."

And a youth said, Speak to us of Friendship.
And he [the prophet] answered, saying:
Your friend is your needs answered.
He [or she] is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay."
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.
And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live,
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

The sea lions in this picture give communal living a whole new meaning, but to my mind, they remind me of friends, that is, just as long as you don't try to pet them. While you could pet them, I suppose, it could lead to the loss of a hand, or better yet, an eye; although, logistically, I'm just not sure how that would happen. Either way, it probably would not be pleasant.