Friendship is like a step to raise us to the love and knowledge of God. – Aelred of Rievaulx

“We do not wish for friends to feed and clothe our bodies, but to do [a similar thing] to our spirits.” – Henry David Thoreau

Friendships, even when they do not end in conflict, sometimes wane as people drift apart.  We create ambivalent bonds.  Sometimes I hold back to protect myself. – Timothy Jones

“Often we simply need someone with whom we can simply be.  A friend, a family circle, a church can help us face the week’s hurts and hopes with the assurance that others know about what we face. . . . Friends can become bearers of grace.” – Timothy Jones