Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.
– Albert Camus
In the swirling storms of chaos and the quiet moments of everyday life, there are those rare, extraordinary souls who stand beside us—unwavering, unshakeable, profoundly connected. These are the friends who transform our journey, not just by witnessing our path, but by walking it with us, step by vulnerable step.
Friendship isn’t a fair-weather companion. It’s a sacred covenant of the heart. True friends don’t just show up when the sun is shining; they are the lighthouse during life’s most brutal emotional hurricanes. They hold space for our deepest grief, celebrate our most triumphant moments, and love us through our most spectacular failures.
These incredible humans are alchemists of the human spirit. They see our potential when we are blind to our own light. They challenge us, not to diminish us, but to help us rise. Their love is a mirror reflecting our most authentic, powerful selves—revealing the extraordinary being we are capable of becoming.
In a world that often feels fragmented and uncertain, these connections are nothing short of miraculous. They are living proof that we are not alone and that human connection can be a profound source of healing, growth, and transformation.
RIGHT NOW is your moment.
RIGHT HERE is your invitation.
Pause. Take a breath. Reach out to those extraordinary souls who have walked beside you. Tell them—truly tell them—how much they mean to you. Express the depth of your gratitude. Let them know they are seen, valued, and cherished.
Because in celebrating these relationships, we don’t just honor them—we elevate the entire human experience.
Who will you thank today?
I’ll start by thanking my amazing wife and best friend, Ali, who is the extraordinary heart of my world. In the spirit of Amy Poehler’s wisdom about finding those who challenge and inspire you, she has been my greatest teacher and most cherished companion. Her love and unwavering support hasn’t just touched my life –it has transformed me, proving that real fairytales aren’t just stories, but living, breathing experiences of profound connection and mutual growth. With boundless gratitude, I celebrate her —the beautiful soul who makes me a better version of myself every single day.
I just read this article again and I could keep reading it! Great wisdom in here its all so very simple I’d we just do our part. Blessings will come back I believe. Always enjoy reading you Dennis@
Great article we should be grateful to those that stand by us thru thick and thin. Sometimes we overlook those that are in our corner. Its a good reminder to be grateful for not only large things but small as well. You will often find when you appreciate someone jn turn they appreciate you.
Indeed, Eva Marie – let us not take those walking beside us for granted. Thank you for your wisdom shared!
Lovely article. Saw unique connection between walking side & humanity. Walking side needs qualifications and acceptance. I would like to add that siblings do have the potential
Thank you Dennis Pitocco , Dr Ali for sharing this post . At chaotic times , for last 10 years , intermittent mingling of breakdowns with busiest if work schedules , other than my family members , I was lucky to find my friend Dr Ali Anani whose mere presence in thoughts made me feel that I’m not alone but it’s Dr Ali in the form of thoughts stood by me to feel that the testing times have been attended by him silently . The silent presence of the aura, even when you haven’t physically seen each other in person makes us feel that presence at critical time mire valuable a strength to push the way to do more goodness , that makes me feel in gratitude to Dr Ali .
This morning I have gratitude for you. Not only because of this wonderful piece which serves as reminder, but also for welcoming me through the front door of your creative home. I look forward to one day meeting both you and your wife Ali. Thank you Dennis!😊
So glad you’ve ventured into our creative home Laura, because it’s abundantly clear that you belong here … We too look forward to the opportunity to meet down the road…
Great reminder here, Dennis, to surround ourselves with people who inspire us, who support and encourage us, and who call us out (gently) for our bullshit when necessary!
It took me well into my 30s to create the kind of community I wanted to spend real time with, and to be discerning about people who wouldn’t help me bring out my best self. It really is all about the company you keep, right?
Many years ago my friend said: “Sarah, your partner/spouse is either your greatest asset or your biggest liability. Choose wisely.” I would say every individual that you choose to invest energy into can be those things as well.
Like you, I happen to be married to my biggest asset, my cheerleader, and the one who can tell me when I’m wrong. I’m pretty lucky, I think. I love him, of course, but I like him A LOT, which is just as important!
Love your perspectives here Sarah, as they form a roadmap stitched together with extraordinary wisdom. Amazing how our spouses can truly be the “wind beneath our wings” … Came upon a quote soon after writing this article that speaks volumes about not only our partners in life but about that rare “inner circle” that we’ve been blessed with over the years; “Some people arrive and make such a beautiful impact on your life, you can barely remember what life was like without them.”
What a beautiful message if gratitude Dennis and I love the tribute to Ali.
I will take this opportunity once again to express my gratitude to you both, and to all at bizcatalyst360 who have shown great encouragement in helping others with being present and always extending a hand of support…via articles, events, connecting and conversing. This community you started has become like a home base. Thank you so much for believing, encouraging, supporting and inspiring many of us every single day.🙏. The best leaders, walk beside you, and always show by example. You are this kind of leader. Dignity my friend 🙏👏🏻 Simply. Thank you
Thank you for your always kind & uplifting words of support, Paula … without question, Ali is the “wind beneath my wings” …
Were I to only have one friend I would be blessed, but my friends, so many from Catalyst 360,
my own groups and pages, The people that I grew up with that are still friends and my best friend Buddy my dog. He is always by my side.
Dennis, you are right! real friends walk beside us. I’m blessed with so many incredible friends in my life right now, so… I’ll just say, “Thanks!!!!!” out loud and in writing. With deeply heart felt wonder. blessings, Cynthia
Seneca said: with a friend you can do everything, but the first thing you have to do is decide if it’s really a friend. When you have verified it seriously you must trust him. Friends are not our “clones”, but they are a completion of ourselves, with which a perfect harmony is created so that even without the need for big speeches, the other already knows what you mean and vice versa, indeed the friend is the one with whom you can also be silent.
The most important thing in a friendship relationship, in my opinion, is respect, naturally combined with sincerity, understanding and mutual complicity. Friendship is a deep and confidential bond that unites two or more people. In fact this feeling has a fundamental value: it can be distributed among many individuals, with various nuances, without any of them feeling devalued.
Except for some childhood friends with whom I am still in contact, friendship with my wife is what I can define as fulfilling and complete.
So nice hear that you wife is at the forefront of your friendship, Aldo. “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends leave footprints in your heart.”
Dennis, thank you for this post and for the reminder to cherish those who walk beside us. I have more acquaintances than I could ever count. I have a small circle of friends who are there when I need them most and recognize that need the least. And admitting my bias, first among them, of course, is Anne.
SPOILER ALERT: Yesterday morning, in her typical fashion, Anne was out of bed before I was. (I usually linger a few minutes to give Eddie, our nine-pound pooch, a snuggling companion.) When I roll out, Anne is typically in the kitchen feeding Sammy, our lunatic cat, and making coffee. Yesterday, however, she was in her office writing.
I made coffee and was sitting at the kitchen table. Anne came out with her laptop and asked me if she could read something to me. She’d written a piece called, The Breakfast Club. As she read, tears rolled down my cheeks at the inimitable beauty of what she’d written. We talked about it for a few moments, then began the activities of our respective days.
At mid-morning, I went upstairs from my basement office to re-fill my coffee cup. Anne was just coming in, having taken Eddie outside. She said, “I just had another idea.” I gave Eddie his treats as Anne hustled off to her office. Later in the morning, I received an email from Anne with an attachment. Even before I’d opened it, she was coming through the door to my office, crying. I read Anne’s email and opened the attachment. It was a piece called, Packin’ My Suitcase Like Grampa. As I got to the fourth paragraph, I was sobbing, weeping like a baby with my glasses off and my head on my arms, which I’d folded on my desk.
Anne asked, “Do you know why we’re crying?”
I said, “I don’t know about you. But I’m crying because this is so unbelievably beautiful.”
The circle tightened. We became closer still.
Anne reveres my close friends as I do. But some places in the friendship circle are more special than others. Anne’s is singular.
Thank you for sharing Ali with us. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to share this story.
P.S. Anne will share those two stories she wrote on BIZCATALYST360 in her own time.
What a wonderful, genuine “slice of life” shared here Mark – bringing life and meaning to that elusive “holy grail” of friendship at its deepest levels. As Aristotle said so well and so simplistically: “My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.” … It’s clear that you and Anne bring out the best in each other… God Bless you both as the gift of friendship, particularly within a marriage is (as Ali and I both know very well) a gift that simply keeps on giving …
Mark, you are an incredible writer in this story you just shared! Thanks for the beauty of your heart warming, inspiring, anecdotal response. blessings, Cynthia
Great tribute to your lovely wife my brother. To have a friend is to be a friend!
Thanks, Danny – I don’t know the official definition of WIFE but for Ali, she is – the Woman who is Independent, Fun loving and Eternally in love with me. I am blessed and I am grateful.
My joy jar is overflowing – many days my ‘Thank you, God for _______” includes names of people. I write hundreds of personal notes every year. The USPS loves my business. I’m pretty sure my friends love to receive letters in their mailboxes. I am not a phone person. I would rather text than talk. I am not good at networking, but sit me at a table with another breathing soul and we can cheer each other up with stories that nobody else cares about but us. Friends are the gifts we give ourselves. A friend is someone who saves your place.
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
Thanks muchly, Dennis.
I was seeing a woman named Jen for several months and then we broke up (actually, she was the broker, I was the brokee).
I was talking with my friend John and he asked, “How’s Jen?”
“It didn’t work out.”
“Oh, it worked out. Just not the way you wanted.”
I am grateful for the whole shebang. Every person shows up, we sail on the same boat for awhile, even a minute, then ?????
We surrendered our dog, Dempsey, in March and I mentioned it to a neighbor:
“Are you going to get another dog?”
“Yeah, but not right away.”
“That’s why I never get pets. I know I’ll have to say goodbye.”
Wow. Trying to live without pain is a pain. Been there, and I never want to go back. So even the folks who make the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up give me a chance to listen, reflect, and be grateful.
Be good, everyone. And well.
Mac
Mac, you are a success story. Knocked down twice, got up to thrive another day.
Thanks for sharing, Mac, as always. “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends leave footprints in your heart.”
Thank you Dennis for the reminder. Sometimes the people closest to us are the hardest to see. We look past them to the people who surprise us with fleeting attention. I think I’ll send a text to my friend Trish today.
Good for you, Tammy – and good for Trish … “When the world is so complicated, the simple gift of friendship is within all of our hands.”
Dennis – Great timing. Jennifer and I celebrate our anniversary tomorrow – May 10th – and I cannot think of a better partner. Smart. Quick. Supportive. Inventive. And she challenges me when I turn to my wallowing pit. Less frequently needed these days. I have lots of strong relationships and more budding relationships thanks to you and 360′. I have three people whom I would call real friends – people I could turn to in addition to Jen who I believe will always be there. I will not name them here, but I’m telling the universe to tap them on the shoulder or whisper in their ear.
Nice to hear that our mutual “centers of gravity” are our amazing spouses, Jeff. And the rest need not be named as there’s little doubt that they already know who they are and why you call them a friend simply by your words and deeds day in and day out with them, for them and because of them … Thanks for sharing your perspectives, my friend.
Dennis, thank you for exhorting us to be thankful for the special people in our lives. There are several such people in my life but in the interest of their right to privacy I will not name them. There are a few special people I can and will name. They are Larry Tyler, Bharat Mathur, Johnny Johnson, Len Bernat, Sandy Chernoff and Joanne Victoria. Most of all it is G-d who is always with me. Juice the cat is somewhere in the mix as well.
A great collection here, Joel (including Juice)… Thanks for sharing!