Hello Mars -- I have been thinking about this idea of friends and meaning in life. It is turning up in various threads recently.

About 20 years, I used to visit a minister's wife for spiritual and emotional counseling. I am pleased to say that she is still a spiritual mentor. One day I whined, "But I only have 3 friends."

She said, "Are these very good friends?"

Oh, yes, we've been friends for many, many years. I can count on them through thick and thin.

She said, "Then you have something that many people don't. Some people may appear to have many friends, but these are just acquaintanceships."

That taught me to really value the close friendships that I have. Whether it is one good friends who keeps you alive, or 3, that is indeed something worth living for. A blessing. As is the unconditional love of our pets.

Depression is such a miserable stinkin' disease. It sucks the joy right out of everything good thing in our lives. It turns white to black and pink to mud. If Depression was a human being, I would vote for the death penalty for it. In fact, I would probably be in favor of a long, slow, highly tortured death for it, just like it has subjected me and so many others to.

Thanks for sharing, Mars.