T  H  E  Y

Say if you want a Friend, BE ONE. . . .

T  H  E  Y

know nothing of

K E N Z O K U

It’s a Japanese word which means: “FAMILY.”  

It’s a word that describes a relationship, though, it goes well beyond any sharing of actual DNA or genetic codes.  It really goes to a deeper heart of the matter of lives  lived as comrades from the distant past.

Have you ever had anyone like that in your life?  DO YOU, right now?

It’s a  relationship where time and distance do nothing to diminish the bond between these types of friends.

Now we’re told by the Psychologists that we can tell you what KENZOKU is,  but we can’t be told exactly what

causes

creates

makes it possible. . . .

There’s the usual stuff:  Common interests:  We both loved basketball, books and music.

                                          History: We both had similar losses, hopes, goals, and commitments.

                                          Equality: We both didn’t need more from each other than the other

I met Joe Nicolella the very first day of 8th grade.

It was the very first day at the 6th new school I was now attending.

We quickly became the Junior Celtics because of not just our love of basketball, but our love of the Boston Celtics.  We would play anyone two on two–all day–any season–any weather conditions–and honestly, I don’t remember losing any best of three games.

We read novels THAT WEREN’T ASSIGNED for School: THE GRAPES OF WRATH,  Vonnegut, Hemingway, Faulkner, Updike, Wiesel, Bradbury, Cheever,  ee cummings, Frost, errr, Shakespeare, well. . . we did disagree on him; I was right, he still sucks, whereas he ended up teaching him for a living.

We inadvertently bought each other harmonicas, pipes (when we thought it made us look much more intellectual than what we were), shared bottles of Mateus while discussing life in front of fires places that haven’t yet gone cold.

Though we didn’t go to college together we in many ways, we ended up doing the same things:

Enriching Others.

He as a teacher and a coach and now a semi-retired high-school athletic director.

Me as a minister, chaplain, speaker/writer.

He’s my friend, uhhh. . .

He’s my father (he’s 96 days older than me), uhhh. . .

He’s whatever I’ve needed in my life, even at times, before I needed it, uhhh. . .

He’s my Kenzoku.

Do you have one?

I have Four in my life, all different than the others, all Continents who have just not made up

My World…

but who thankfully, who have completed it in a most magnificent way. . .

and still do!