Friends to the End

In spelling the word "friend", I've always told my elementary students that the word "end" is at the end of the word "friend", because a "friend is true to the end".
This past weekend, our "wedding weekend" for our younger daughter, this truth rang true for us.
At the end of the day, the end of the reception, the end of the dance, the end of the celebrating, a group of Downs friends and relative-friends were true "to the end".
Facing the task of undecorating 34 tables, these friends were there to help carry, organize, load, and even bring back to Downs all of the boxes and sacks full of glass and tin and flowers and candles. Some took tuxedos back to the motel for us, some carried floral arrangements on their laps back to the motel, some loaded their vehicles with the items since our cars were full of gifts, some loaded gifts into our cars. Some even drove back to the church to get our daughter's car, which we had forgotten to drive to the reception ourselves.
And they did it cheerfully and willingly.
So, here's to our friends to the end...you're the best! (And we owe you one!)