The Heartwarming Friendship Strategy I Can’t Stop Thinking About
plus chic summer home decor, a pro parenting move, and how to look old and hot...
Strengthening friendships is a perennial goal of mine, so when I read this note by writer Kait Santos, I was immediately intrigued:
“My husband and his friends wake up at and/or stay up until all hours to offer one another rides to and from the airport when they’re traveling. An example of “the village” in action that I love.”
It conjured a mental image of my in-laws, Bud and Susie, who unfailingly meet us whenever we fly into St. Louis. They wait beyond the security gates with enormous smiles—and for years, a life-sized stuffed Minnie Mouse—that sent my children into raptures as toddlers and mortification as teenagers.
I pictured Kait’s husband and his circle as retirees—men in their sixties and seventies with malleable schedules and the patience for long drives. But when I chatted with Kait, I was startled to learn that her husband, Dave, and his friends are in their thirties, and they’ve been doing this for years!
The men have been friends since high school, all residing in the same Connecticut suburb. The trek to New York’s airports is a three to four-hour round-trip: a considerable sacrifice, particularly when flights are delayed! Yet Kait insists it’s routine: when someone travels, they circulate the details and trust that one of the guys will show up and perform this no-frills act of service.
Kait reports that logistical breakdowns or scheduling disasters are rare and that the practice has deepened their friendships.
“After a long trip, when you’re exhausted, getting into a taxi with a stranger feels like you’re still traveling. But when you’re greeted at the airport by someone you know, it’s like you’re already home. And that’s a wonderful feeling.” she explained.
Her comment reminded me of the opening scene of Love Actually, where air travelers embrace their loved ones while Hugh Grant’s character delivers his iconic (and eerily relevant) meditation:
“Whenever I get gloomy about the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion is starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends.”
Which captures precisely what I love about Dave and his friends’ airport routine: it’s not grand or elaborate. It’s tangible, regular proof of their care and love for friends, family, and community: a simple yet profound way to stay close to the people who matter most.
Thank you, Kait and Dave, for sharing your story—you’re an inspiration! You can check out Kait’s newsletter about yoga and gentle movement, Align, here.
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Paid subscribers requested more frequent culture and entertainment recommendations, so I’m adding them to the end of each weekly newsletter.
This week’s recs include an easy (and impressive-looking) summer appetizer, a swoony film, three books, and a fascinating (and funny) podcast about middle age! To get in on the fun, here’s a great deal: 50% off until this Sunday!❤️