A lifetime ago in high school there were four of us; crazy
young guys with our whole lives ahead of us. We laughed together,
cried together, studied together, played together. In our sillier
moments we wore white suits to school and called ourselves "The White Knights".
Then when we weren't looking, fourteen years flashed by and overnight we'd
become 'thirtysomethings'. Three of us were married, one of us had
kids, one had moved out of state and one overseas... but every so often
we managed to make it back to the place where it all started, and it was
as though we hadn't aged a day. The magic was still there -- and
then some.
At times three of us would grow tired and grumpy -- but one of us never
did. At times three of us grew discouraged, or cynical, or depressed
-- but one of us never did. One of us always put the other three
ahead of himself. Four people can never be identical, and, sure enough,
there was one of us who, more than the rest, was always smiling, always
laughing, always joking, always giving of his time and energy and love,
and always optimistic for the future.
This Summer the last of us four who's still single will be married...
by the one of us four who's since become a minister. The other two
of us were to have been Best Man, together. Now I'll have to do it
alone. Three of us remain, but the very best of us... the very *best*
of us... is gone.