It’s 2:30am PST on Christmas morning (as of this line) and while I should be asleep, I am indeed very much awake having just gotten back from picking up my friend from the airport and dropping him off at his home. While some may see this situation as a burden on a holiday weekend, I see this as an honor.

Think about how many people in your life you would do a favor for without question at the drop of a hat. Are they your friends? Your family? Friends of family? Friends with whom you’re so close to they’re basically family?

This particular friend of mine, Colin, is truly family. At 5:17pm, Colin sends a text to our group chat asking if anyone is available to pick him up at an ungodly hour due to a series of canceled and rebooked flights coming back to the Bay Area from San Diego.

“…if it’s delayed any further, it’s a 1:40am arrival”

STOP RIGHT THERE. With 26+ years of adventures and mayhem between us, this is a non-negotiable.

I VOLUNTEER MYSELF AS TRIBUTE. …and so it shall be. After spending Christmas Eve with my family, I am back driving on the road toward the airport to pick Colin up and bring him home.

No Venmo $ was requested, and no gas reimbursement was required, just a sincere “thank you” from him and a “glad you’re home, we’ll all have Christmas dinner with the boys before you go back to San Diego” from me. This is what it’s all about.

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I felt compelled to write about this only to reflect on the concept of keeping a tight circle. When I say it is an honor to get on the road past midnight to rescue a friend from airport hell, I mean it. No amount of money can buy that level of close-knit relationship. Obviously, this is not to be confused with people who would never return the gesture in kind or abuse such a connection but you get the point.

All this to say, keep good company and take care of your circle. This is especially important as you get older. Surface-level friends and school/work acquaintances are nice to have around but deep relationships and unshakeable bonds are worth the price of admission. More on this in another blog post.

Thanks for reading and again, Happy Holidays from my family to yours!