Redefining Love...

by Skip Cohen

​Yesterday in Bozeman, Montana, there was a memorial tribute to one of the industry's greatest, Duncan MacNab. I wanted so badly to be there, but today's isn't about missing Duncan's Memorial or, for that matter, losing one of my very best friends. Instead, it's about something I've noticed in how many of us express ourselves lately.

I've noticed good friends, both male and female will end a phone conversation with, "I love you." At first, I thought it was a spin-off of the pandemic and a way to express one's appreciation for another, but it's far more than that.

For me, it's wisdom that's come with aging. There are people who I simply want to know are important to me. This is far more than two buddies saying, "Hey, I love ya, man!" It's a well-defined statement that means my life is better because you're in it. It's a commitment to being there for each other and watching each other's backs.

The photograph above, which I've shared before, was the last picture ever taken of Duncan. Taken during the visit Bob Thompson and I made to Spokane just a few days before Duncan passed away, we had no idea it would be his last time in front of a camera - a cell phone held by a nurse in a hallway. 

It doesn't matter how the picture was captured; it reminds me how much Duncan meant to me and how much I loved the guy. It's a testimonial to the importance of great friendships and to never take time for granted.

A couple of times in the last week, I noticed my phone conversations ended with "I love you." Of course, it wasn't used the same way I say it when I hang up talking to Sheila - but it does carry a similarity in one regard - it means you're part of my family, and we're all there for each other.

Many people will walk in and out of your life,
​but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
Eleanor Roosevelt

​And that brings me to my point - those friends who leave footprints in our heart. Don't be afraid to let your friends know you love them. Don't be shy; wishing you'd said just a little more about their importance to you. It's a pretty amazing time when so many of us seem to appreciate the little things in life just as much as the milestones.

Wishing everybody a day ahead to tell somebody you love them. This isn't about romance; it's about commitment to good friends, support, and simply not wasting time. Always go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs, especially with friends who mean the most to you.

Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world!