A price for friendship

How can you put a price on friendship?

Well, you can't. Or rather, you shouldn't. That's a pretty normal thing to say, right? I recently encountered a situation, though, that is putting that commonly accepted ideal to test. I helped friends move.

I know, I know, I know. Stupid, right? How many times have I joked about a possible situation where someone asks, "Hey...you have a truck, right?" And I respond with, "Yeah, and you can borrow it whenever you would like." It’s an easy out to any number of possible heavy lifting, time consuming, friendship busting issues. It is a witty repose that in theory sums up my (wished for) attitude nicely. But in the real world, I am not that person. I like to help people. I enjoy it, almost perversely so. The tougher requests placing hardship upon me are more likely to be accepted. On the plus side: stronger relationships are born from hardship rather than easy going, beer swilling times. On the negative side: your subcontractor may play and prey upon you to your fiscal detriment placing you in a Maslow-like hardship where your every wish is now for him to burn in hell. A hypothetical example. ahem.

And yes, I know I know, moving is a process fraught with tension, sweat derived arguments, and stink eye moments. Happy happy, joy joy for the excitement of a new start in a new place never supersedes this is freaking heavy and the arse on the other end of the couch is scrapping the wallllll!!!!! Why risk a great friendship over the benefits of helping a friend move? Because they really need it. And if it is that type of friendship, you would do almost anything to help them out.

So after two long days of Mr. Fix-it Up as best as possible, eleven hours of heavy lifting, and thirty hours of driving, I sit here happy knowing my good friends are well on their way to realizing a ten-year dream: living in the place they love filled with hope and opportunity. And I wish them well.

And if they come calling about another move in the future...I will gladly answer the call.