We are all so close. We are godfather to each others' kids. I

In the words of Juan Marichal—“We are all so close. We are godfather to each others' kids. I was the best man at Jesus' wedding.”—we glimpse the sacred fabric of friendship woven so tightly that it rivals even the bonds of blood. Here, the measure of closeness is not in words alone, but in the rituals of life: standing as godfather, guiding the children of another; standing as best man, witnessing vows of love. These are not casual gestures, but sacred duties, entrusted only to those whose loyalty has been proven true.

The ancients themselves exalted such bonds. The Greeks spoke of philia, the noble love between comrades, deeper than desire, stronger than circumstance. In Homer’s Iliad, the bond of Achilles and Patroclus was such that Achilles’ grief at his friend’s death drove him to feats of unmatched valor. So too does Marichal remind us that true friendship does not end at the field of play, but endures in the milestones of family, faith, and marriage.

To be called godfather is no small honor. In Christian tradition, it is a vow to guide the soul of a child, to walk beside them in faith, and to act as a second parent should misfortune strike. Such trust cannot be bought; it is earned by years of loyalty. Likewise, to be chosen as best man is to stand beside a friend at the most sacred threshold of his life. Marichal, in recalling these roles, shows that his bonds with others were not built upon fame or fortune, but upon steadfast devotion.

History offers us parallels. When Cicero wrote of friendship in Rome, he declared that the truest friend is “another self,” one who rejoices in our joys and suffers in our sorrows. Kings might command armies, but they still placed their trust in a chosen few who stood by them at marriage feasts, funerals, and battles. These rituals, ancient and modern, are proofs that friendship is not only spoken but enacted.

Thus, let this wisdom endure: true closeness is measured not by proximity, but by the sacred roles we entrust to one another. To guide a friend’s child, to stand at his side as he begins his marriage, is to affirm that bonds of the heart may equal, and even surpass, bonds of blood. Marichal’s words remind us that when friendship is lived in such depth, it becomes not merely companionship, but a legacy—woven into generations, sanctified in love, and enduring beyond the span of life itself.