I'm not sure everyone supports my enthusiasm for the sending and receiving of Christmas cards, but without this annual paper ritual we might lose touch with people - acquaintances or friends - all of whom are woven as golden threads into the fabric of our lives.

People have asked me the distinction I make between acquaintances and friends and I'd like to share with you what my thinking is along those lines.

In addition to my inner orbit of precious family, my life has friends who are its particular bright stars. In the presence of friends I am warmed by easy acceptance for who I am, my life seems more worth living - as a friend helps me to feel better about myself. Friendships are lasting and reliably glowing relationships that light my world to a richer shine.

As for my many cherished acquaintances, they are like meteors in the sky. Acquaintances shine for brief exciting moments like when we first meet or when we happen upon each other throughout life. I cherish the feel and memory of these brief, enchanting moments yet acquaintances are more like a rainbow than the sun.

My friends are like a sturdy brick house with thick walls that give me sanctuary when I need it; my acquaintances are like a well-decorated, upscale hotel room that is so much fun for a short stay.

These are very "Arynne" descriptions; those of you who are my friends will easily accept them. If you are an acquaintance, you are more likely to find flaws in my very personal description of this subject. But I hope you will be motivated to form a definitions of your own.

"Friendship is Love without his wings!"
- George Noel Gordon, Lord Byron

SOME FAVORITE QUOTES ON THIS SUBJECT

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation."
- George Washington

"Do not protect yourself by a fence, but rather by your friends."
- Czech proverb

"If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself alone. A man should keep his friendships in constant repair."
- Samuel Johnson

"Love demands infinitely less than friendship."
- George Jean Nathan

"The best rule of friendship is to keep your heart a little softer than your head."
- George Santayana

"Friendship is a common belief in the same fallacies, mountebanks and hobgoblins."
- H.L. Menken

"A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"A Father's a Treasure; a Brother's a Comfort; a Friend is Both."
- Benjamin Franklin

To cherished friends and acquaintances my warmest wishes for a Joyous Holiday Season!