These two guys deserve recognition for having the most extraordinary, loyal, supportive friends.
Michael Phelps would surely not have broken the Olympic record by getting an eighth gold medal without the dedication of his three teammates. It was their support and determination to do their best that made for a win.
John Edwards, too, was able to set forth a story, however incredulous, designed to distance himself from the baby born to his mistress, Rielle Young, because his friend, Andrew Young, issued a statement claiming he, also a married man, is the father of her baby.
No friend has or will ever ask me to be part of a competitive athletic team, probably not even to keep score for a softball game in the park. As for taking responsibility in a phony story, a friend once asked that I submit a fictitious report to my insurance company so she wouldn’t feel compelled to pay for repairing the red wine stain she’d put onto my couch, not yet a day old.
There generally are boundaries on friendships, which were exceeded in the case of Michael Phelps and John Edwards. Remember when being a friend just meant saying, “You look like you’ve lost weight,” or helping someone move?
