I recently gathered alongside a group of friends and colleagues on the fifth hole of Old Hickory Golf Club outside of Washington, DC in Virginia.

I call this golf course home for many reasons most especially because of the many good people I have a chance to interact with there. On this particular chilly day that we had come together, we were not there to play golf. Our gathering was paying tribute to a friend who had recently passed away. Standing there shoulder to shoulder with this exceptional group reminded me of the powerful bond of friendship.

I aim to encourage individuals to remember the ship in friendship, because in so doing we are mindful of the vessel that we steer together while navigating the seas of life. A friend is a crewmate to journey with as if on a ship. We lift each other up, lighten loads, find ports of rest together to replenish for the next stage of our travels.

It was only days after my experience at the golf course that a significant winter storm rolled in through my neighbourhood and left a deep blanket of snow. While there is a serene beauty to a soft snow, I felt a certain paralysis in trying to move forward due to the sheer amount of accumulation that encircled my home. The allusion of a ship when speaking of a friend is a metaphor that holds up, particularly as the friend that came to provide kind support in my time of need was a retired US Navy Captain who happens to be my neighbour. The fact is I could not have liberated my lanes and passageway without his act of friendship - it was like the wind behind the sails that moved me forward. It was the poet Walt Whitman that wrote, “Oh Captain! My Captain!” My friend the captain was just that for me that day.

Last week you will have perhaps seen or watched the images of former US President Jimmy Carter’s farewell services. Of the many remarkable stories that marked Jimmy Carter’s life one was his deep and genuine friendship with former US President Gerald Ford. Of course, Ford and Carter had campaigned for president against one another in 1976. President Carter prevailed. At Carter’s inauguration speech in 1977 one of the first things he said and the gestures he made was to thank President Ford then turn to him and shake his hand. Historians have said it is very probable that their friendly bond as former US presidents was the closest of any in American history. That is an extraordinary legacy.

As I stood at the golf course in Virginia with my friends celebrating a friend, received kind service from my neighbour in my time of need, and reflected on the life of a former US president, I was reminded that in the end there is nothing greater that we can leave behind than being a kind, encouraging, giving, and loving friend. And as I put pen to paper for this column, I am reminded that Cornwall exemplifies this principle. Many will rightfully place Cornwall’s natural beauty toward the top of the list of what makes the place so special. It is stunning. But I would suggest that what tops that list of what makes Cornwall attractive and a distinct example for the world is the spirit of friendship of the Cornish people. I always experience that spirit, and I feel gratitude for the friends in Cornwall that I continue to make.

I will keep remembering the ship in friendship, and be grateful for my crewmates along the way.