Every bourbon shelf has one — the dusty bottle. You bought it once with good intentions, maybe for a celebration or a quiet night of reflection, and then life moved on. Other bottles came along. That one slipped to the back, gathering dust, waiting to be rediscovered. When you finally pull it down, wipe it clean, and pour a glass, you realize the flavor has held up beautifully — maybe even deepened with time.
That’s how some friendships are.
When I think about it, Daryl was my rediscovered bottle. We were friends briefly decades ago, and though our time together back then was short, something about it stuck with me. Life, as it tends to do, sent us in different directions — different cities, different marriages, different lives. But when we found each other again, the connection was instant. The dust didn’t matter. What was there before was still there — stronger, richer, ready to be savored.
And just recently, I found another old friend through Facebook — someone I’d grown close to during my junior year of high school before I moved away. We hadn’t spoken in decades, but our first conversation felt like slipping back into a familiar rhythm. No awkwardness, no catching up required — just laughter and comfort that somehow survived the miles and the years. We’ve only chatted online so far, but I’m hopeful one day we’ll meet again in person.
Friends like that are rare. Life keeps us busy, but we shouldn’t let the good ones gather too much dust. They deserve to be brought back into the light — to be shared, enjoyed, and appreciated for what they’ve become.
So tonight, here’s to the dusty bottles — and to the rediscovered friendships that remind us some things only get better with time.
Copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt.
