A lot of life is dry and dusty, and it makes you thirsty. Sometimes you get so used to being thirsty that it starts to feel normal. That's why, when you come to an oasis, all that cool water and shade is a surprise and a relief. It happened to me last night. I'd forgotten how thirsty I was, and then I had the cool drink of dinner with a friend. I told her things I've been thinking in the middle of the night and things I love and things I hope for and things I'm scared of and things that make me laugh, and she told me some, too. Last night helps me remember that sometimes the very best thing you can do is offer a friend the pleasure of your company.
“Here we are, you and I, and, I hope, a third, Christ, is in our midst. . . . Come now, beloved, open your heart, and pour into these friendly ears whatsoever you will, and let us accept gracefully the boon of this place, time and leisure.” Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)