A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often - just to save it from drying out completely.

The passage compares friendship to a plant that can survive difficult conditions but still needs occasional care. Letters, calls, and small gifts become its mulch. The image makes modest gestures of contact seem valuable without suggesting that friendship requires constant attention.

Context reviewed 20 September 2026