A friend who I used to speak with on a daily basis...
This friend sends me a message......
Tells me that his friend needs money....
Says that without the money, his friend..
Will not be able to survive.....
I listen to my friend.....
Understand his empathy for his friend.....
His frustration at not being able to help his friend....
Then: my friend requests me to provide his friend...
Thousands of dollars per month.....
When I refused......
He became angry at me.......
He insists that I help so many people with my money...
And so now is offended that I refuse to do the same for his friend....
He states that I should help his friend...
because our friendship is such that we share many of our thoughts...
because my friend has never selfishly used me for his personal gain...
And therefore, he says, our friendship is unique.....
But then I explain.....
Those characteristics are not unique.....
As I have many friends...
who do not take advantage of me...
and with whom I can share many of my thoughts.....

Then the phone call came........
I was told that if I do not provide the funds,
our friendship will be ended -- by him, not me.......
So I said, "As you wish".....
As I do not wish...
to have a friend......
Who wishes to have money....
as a leash.....
which holds onto a friendship desired......

Then, days later, comes another phone call...
My friend's friend calls......
On behalf of my friend......
My friend's friend apologizes....
For my friend's disrespect....
So I say that I accept the apology
But here, I say, "I accept" for now.
But sometimes I wonder...
how can someone...
accept an apology......
that is made by someone else...
on behalf of the person who should be apologizing?

If the person who needs to apologize were ever a friend,
and the friendship is not open enough.......
that he, the friend, does not have the fortitude....
to apologize when necessary,
but instead needs......
someone else to apologize on his behalf......
Then can you call that a friendship?