It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not

In a moment of reflection both simple and profound, William Regal once said: “It’s always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.” Though the words appear gentle and ordinary, they carry the timeless fragrance of memory, loyalty, and the passage of time. For what is friendship but a bridge between souls that no storm can wash away? In his voice we hear not only reunion, but the echo of endurance—of bonds that survive distance, silence, and the turning of many seasons.

To the ancients, friendship was among the highest virtues, second only to wisdom itself. The philosopher Aristotle taught that true friendship is not born of convenience or gain, but of shared goodness—an alignment of souls who, even when apart, still walk together in spirit. When William Regal speaks of seeing old friends after fifteen months, he speaks not merely of physical reunion, but of the rejoining of hearts long separated. For the measure of a friendship is not in how often one meets, but in how deeply the connection endures when one cannot.

Imagine, then, those fifteen months—days heavy with absence, weeks when familiar laughter was only a memory, months when the world itself seemed divided by distance. Such a span tests all things: love, hope, patience. Yet when friends finally meet again, the time apart melts away, and the ancient truth returns—that true companionship is not diminished by time, only proven by it. What a joy it is, then, to clasp the hand of one you thought far away and find that nothing essential has changed.

So it has always been. When Odysseus returned from his long and perilous voyage, after twenty years of wandering and war, his heart was not most stirred by glory or wealth, but by the faces of those he loved—the faithful swineherd Eumaeus, the steadfast wife Penelope, the son grown to manhood. Time and distance had tested them all, yet love endured. This is the same flame that burns in Regal’s words: the joy of seeing those who knew us not by title or fame, but by our true selves.

There is also humility in this quote—a quiet gratitude. To say, “It’s great to see old friends,” is to acknowledge that such meetings are gifts, not guarantees. In a world that moves quickly and forgets easily, the ability to reunite with someone who remembers you—not as you appear today, but as you have been through every season—is a rare blessing indeed. Old friends are the mirrors of our becoming. They reflect not only who we are, but who we once were, and remind us how far we have come.

This reunion after fifteen months also speaks to our common human longing for connection. No wealth, no power, no achievement can fill the void left by isolation. We were not made to stand alone. When we see old friends again, we touch a part of eternity—the unbroken thread of human affection that links the past to the present. Even in times of hardship, it is friendship that restores the soul, reminding us that the heart, unlike the body, does not age with time apart.

Thus, the teaching of this saying is clear: cherish those who have walked beside you. Do not let the months or years silence your affection. Write to them, call them, remember them in your prayers. When life grants you the chance to see them again, do not rush past the moment—sit, speak, laugh, and honor the bond that has endured. For in every shared story, in every memory rekindled, the soul is strengthened and made whole again.

And so, as the ancients would counsel, keep your friendships alive as sacred fires. Time may scatter you like leaves before the wind, but when you meet again, let it be with warmth in your heart and gratitude in your voice. Say, as William Regal did—with simplicity, sincerity, and joy—“It’s always great to see old friends.” For in that moment, you honor not only your companions, but the divine gift of enduring friendship itself.