great story

There are no friends like old friends. New friends are great, but old ones are very special.

I reconnected with my old friend Mike from grammar school and high school about a year ago. Our lives went in different directions after school and I hadn't seen or spoken with him in over 40 years. I had heard he had some serious substance abuse issues and had moved to Spokane, Wa.

Ran into one of his old girl friends and she mentioned that Mike would really like to hear from some of his childhood friends. I was a little hesitant, but finally gave him a call. We talked for about an hour and decided we would do this every month or so. Like Jimmy, I came off that visit with Mike with a high that lasted for several days. I know I felt good and he did, too.

What made those calls all the more gratifying is that I got a call recently from his old girl friend that Mike had passed suddenly.

Maybe the lesson in all this is if you're thinking of visiting or calling an old friend, do it. It's good for you and just as good for them.

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