Do you suppose that if you polled a thousand people on "What does friendship mean to you?" that you would get the same answer from everyone? I would bet that while there may be some differences in the responses you could almost count on way more similarities. What is it about friendship that makes it possess universal qualities? Is it because of its close proximity to love? I love my wife, that is one thing. I love my children, that is another. I love my sisters, still another. Do I have friends I love? Sure I do. I have friends that I hold so dear to my heart that they might as well be my family. In a way they are.

I have a new family. No, I did not get rid of the one I already have. I just expanded a bit. I wrote in an earlier post about a forum I joined recently, the CLL Forum. I have never in my life seen so many wonderful people in one place. There are men and women, CLLers and caregivers, Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, older folks and younger folks, religious and not so religious and brown, black, and white. Not one of these differences means anything because each and every one of them has a common thread that binds them to the others. 900+ people all sharing their lives with one another. Most have never met, not in person. A few here and there have had opportunities to meet but it is far more rare than it should be.

I also wrote something in an earlier post regarding faith and the fact that I was unsure if I possessed faith in my fellow man. As it turns out this medium we use to know each other and become good friends is based solely on faith. I know only what I am told and that is all I can know. I must accept it on faith. And I do. The CLL Forum has become a place I frequent a lot. There is not one person there I have met that I do not like. I will no doubt like them all but I have not yet met them all. I will in time. That is my goal anyway.

I am amazed at the strength of character assembled in one small out of the way place in cyberspace. These are people with cancer. As of right now it is incurable cancer. No one can know the future but many of us have a pretty good idea. Yet the folks are positive and upbeat almost all the time. We laugh together, we weep together, we revel in each other's happiness and we console each other in hard times. We do not question each other's actions or motivations. We simply accept. If I woke up tomorrow and was told we could all be cured but one, I would be that one. Because I could never live in peace with myself if I denied any one of these good people the opportunity to beat this disease.

Indeed, I do love these friends.