Dear Anonymous,
Mike calls to a couple of guys walking by. Hoods up. Heads down. Hunkered. Trudging.
Mike introduces them and we both say
'Want a coffee card?'
They pause.
They ask. 'How much does it cost?'
I feel their anxiety rise.
I respond, 'Nothing'.
But the rest of the regular guys answer with,
'Friendship.'
And I hear their tenderness. And their statement.
But I turn to them when I hand them the cards from you Dear Anonymous, and say,
'It doesn't cost friendship. It doesn't cost a thing. It's a coffee card for chrissakes. Go warm up.'
The simple exchange, with nothing expected, is the grace...is the friendship.