"For Pardis Parker, the writer of this week’s Modern Love essay, it was the misadventures and seemingly insignificant moments that made his childhood best friend (and neighbor) a safe haven where he felt truly accepted."

"Ultimately the experiences you have as a kid are all fairly similar. They're innocent and rooted in exploration and fun and learning and eating and being naughty and breaking the rules. It's all universal. We're all the same."