With a little help from my friends…

The last Heroic Trait I want to cover, and it’s not on the list, is the trait of Friends and Companions. I know what you’re thinking…Friends aren’t a trait. They are people! But, just walk with me for a while and I’ll show you what I mean.

Every hero has at least one friend or companion that walks the path with him. I’m not talking about acquaintances here…or people that are just along for the ride. I’m talking about a true friend. One that will walk every step of the way, carrying them towards the goal if need be.

I’ve talked about friends before. What makes a good friend and how to be a good friend. So, what does it mean to a hero to have the trait of friends and companions?

So…am I saying that there is a difference between regular friends and Heroic Friends? You bet I am. Friends can come in all shapes and sizes. And most importantly, levels or intimacy and devotion. Don’t get me wrong, regular friends are great. They will always make up the majority of your circle of friends. And that’s a good thing.

But Heroic Friends…they don’t come along that often. They are sometimes even the ones that get overlooked. But it’s OK. They know where they stand and are comfortable with that place in your life. They are always the first ones to be by your side (sometimes the only ones) and lift you back up when you fall. They are the last ones to leave your side (if ever). They are the ones that will break the truth to you as gently as possible, but they will give you nothing less. And no matter where you are, when you call, they will come running.

Why is it important for a hero to have friends and companions?

This is and will be a difficult journey. There is no one that makes it through this journey by themselves. No hero in legend has walked alone.

King Arthur had his Knights of the Round Table.
Sinbad had his crew.
Jason had the Argonauts.
Frodo had Samwise (one of the BEST examples of a Heroic Friend)


“But I can't do this all on my own. No, I know I'm no Superman” – Scrubs Theme Song


Really, that’s the truth of it. We CAN’T do it all on our own. There is simply TOO much. Too much shit. Too much struggle. Too much hurt. Too much joy. There has to be someone that is there and able to handle sharing the load.

Notice that I said SHARING the load. A Heroic Friend helps you with YOUR burdens. He doesn’t take them from you. See, this is YOUR journey. YOU are the hero in this tale. YOU have to take the adventure. YOU have to slay the Dragon. No one else can do this but YOU.

And, sometimes, even Heroic Friends screw up. They are only human after all. Sometimes they make mistakes and hurt us. It’s never malicious, but it still hurts, nonetheless. Lancelot and Arthur for example. Sometimes, WE make the mistakes and hurt them. Sometimes, to the point of even trying to drive them off from us. Frodo and Samwise for example.

But there is something deeper between a hero and his friends. Something that brings them back together. Something that brings humbleness and loving forgiveness. That’s what it means to be a Heroic Friend. It’s the friend that NEVER stops, NEVER walks away, NEVER abandons you. It’s the friend that fights by your side, even if the last things you said to each other were in anger. It’s the friend that knows how to be true, even when you don’t want them to be. They love you too much to be anything else.

I only have a few Heroic Friends in my life. And I count myself blessed beyond measure for them. So…I raise my glass to them…and all others. You included, for you should be someone’s Heroic Friend too.

JC, SK, SN…I love you guys!