in the end.

i've been reading a book about friendship.

this statement is shocking AND hilarious to those who really know me for two reasons:

1.  i barely read.  i mask my lack of literary prowess by having smart friends, subscribing to a diverse list of podcasts and listening to the occasional audio book on itunes.
2. the book i'm "reading" has been on my bedside table for over 2 years.  i've "read" it 3 times already if you constitute "reading" as starting at page 1 and getting to page 32...and then starting over...again.

but enough about me.  back to the book.

the focus of the book is actually about marriage....which i am doing...i mean, have done....are....well, you understand.  i'm hitched.  for the last 15 years...which is a source of great pride for me.  i enjoy being married.  i love my wife.  i am still incredibly attracted to her.  she makes me laugh.  and even in the midst of the production level parenting that we've placed ourselves in...we still manage to enjoy each others company.
as i flipped to page 28 the other day, the book began talking about friendship in marriage, which wasn't an altogether new concept to me.  but the authors didn't just add it as a foot note and then move on.  as i said, i'm on page 32, and they're still talking about it.  the two authors (a married couple) talked about how they had invested to much time developing friendships with other people.  in relationships, in care and encouragement of others...together and individually....which is a good thing for sure.  but then asked the question if they had really invested to the same degree in their own  friendship as a couple.

that got thinking...no matter who i become friends with in the course of my life.  and, no matter how deep those friendships bore into the soil of my heart....in the end, the person that i will be standing next to is my wife.  someday, either she or i will be sitting in the front row of a church, staring at a wooden box that holds the shell of the person that we spent our life entwined with. because of that fact, i realized that the most important friendship that i should cultivate is with my bride.

i know i can do better at that....can you?