DR. WALLACE: Quite a few years ago, when I was a teen, you wrote what I felt was an excellent column on how friendships can last forever. I am now married and have two fantastic teens myself — a 15-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old son. I would really like them to read your message on this topic!

Is it possible you can find it and reprint it so that it can help make a difference here in 2020? I'm positive almost all of your readers would enjoy reading it. I'm finding that I connect via telephone, text and videoconferences with several of my own friends a lot more now, in these days of COVID-19, than I have for several years now. My close friendships mean even more to me now than they did back then — and they were indeed great friendships back then! — Grateful for My Friends and Kids

GRATEFUL: The column you are referring to was titled "Close Friendships Can Indeed Last Forever" and was written about my own close friends! I hope your teens enjoy it. Here it is:

TEENS: Do you sometimes wonder if you will keep close friendships after you graduate from high school and possibly college; get married; raise a family and move far away from the old hometown? Well, wonder no longer. Friendships do indeed have the power to last a lifetime.

Growing up in the steel mill town of Gary, Indiana, athletics and good friends were the most important things to me during my very enjoyable teen years — high school football games at Gleason Field, basketball in Memorial Auditorium, running track at the Goshen Relays and going "all out" for 2 miles at the Cressmoor Country Club during a cross country meet. These were the good old days, when Patti Page was singing "Tennessee Waltz" and Louis Armstrong found his thrill on "Blueberry Hill."

Evenings and weekends were spent discussing sports and debating the merits of the Cubs versus the White Sox. Kenny Enderline (the greatest Cubs fan of them all), Bob Locke, Tony Franke, Gene Onofrey, Dan O'Connell, Skinny Ennis and the Karras brothers (Ted, Alex and Paul) and I were all close friends.

But after high school graduation, the group started splitting up. Some went into the military (the Korean War was in full force); some went off to college. The rest remained at home and worked in the steel mills near Gary. Even though time and distance made it difficult to keep in touch regularly, the bonds of friendship remained as strong as ever over the years.

Last week, Ted Karras called from Gary and said that he, his brother Paul, and Hobart high school football coach Dan Howell were coming to California to visit his brother Alex and good friend Tony Franke for a few days of fishing. He invited me to come along. I had't seen Alex and Paul in many a year, so it was a great chance to visit with these lifelong friends once more.

Again, the conversation revolved around athletics (mostly football) and the wonderful times we had together growing up in our Midwestern steel city on the shores of Lake Michigan. All three of the Karras brothers were all-star football players at Emerson High School, and Alex was even nationally ranked as a high school All-American. Ted became a superb offensive guard for the Chicago Bears and has an NFL world championship ring to prove it, while Alex became an All-Pro defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions. Paul was equally gifted as a player, but an injury while playing at the University of Iowa cut his career short. Don Howell is arguably the most successful high school coach in America. His Hobart High School team won so many Indiana state championships that the fans expected a championship team every year — and, incredibly, they usually get their wish.

As the boat, captained by Tony, headed back to the harbor, we were still discussing the "good old days" and who caught the most fish. Paul claimed victory (actually, Coach Howell won), and we all agreed when Alex announced that the winner had to clean all of the day's catch. As the sun slipped into the Pacific Ocean, we all piled into the van, tired and hungry, and headed to Alex's beach house.

"Hey guys," shouted Tony, "this is just like it used to be!" We could all relate to that! I know mine is but one example of lifelong friendships that many American, all across this land, cherish and enjoy. I wish the very same for your children as their adult lives and many new experiences await.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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