Beyond Likes: Friendship, Literacy, and the Real Meaning of Giving
History In today’s world, friendships can sometimes feel defined by numbers or surface-level connections. But true friendship is found in the people who show up, time and again, in meaningful ways. This is the story of my friend Barb, how our friendship shaped Teach My Kid to Read, and what her support has meant to me. Barb and I are both from New Jersey, and we met as kids in Pennsylvania, where our families had homes across the lake. We reconnected as freshmen in college, when we moved into the same dorm. From the start, we were different: Barb was edgy and fashionable, drawn to punk rock; I was less edgy, into sports, and not very stylish. However, we always had core commonalities. We were both reliable and hard workers, and determined to be independent and successful. We had many adventures in those formative years. One snowy Thanksgiving ride back to campus ended in a breakdown, a smoke-filled house full of cats, and no way to call for help (this was long before cell phones). I think Barb was even allergic to the cats, but that memory, less the acrid smell of smoke and a chorus of meowing, is somewhat of a haze. After college, I landed a publishing job in Boston. Not long after, Barb moved there too, working… | Read More »Beyond Likes: Friendship, Literacy, and the Real Meaning of Giving
