A Tremendous Thing

"Why did you do all this for me?" Wilbur asked. "I don't deserve it. I've never done anything for you." "You have been my friend," replied Charlotte. "That in itself is a tremendous thing." —from Charlotte's Web by E. B. White Friendship encompasses a wide range of social bonds, from playground companionship and wartime camaraderie to modern marriages and Facebook links . For many, friendship is more meaningful than familial ties. And yet it is our least codified relationship, with no legal stan