It was a tough week. Just after writing two emotional commentaries focusing on the premature deaths of Tony Snow and Randy Pausch, Renuka Sharma, a wonderful young lady who worked for the Josephson Institute, lost her fight with cancer.

So my weekend began with sad and somber thoughts of lost friends and the unpredictability of death.

My mood took a sharp U-turn after I attended a 50th anniversary party for dear friends. It began with a meticulously organized scrapbook of photos, ticket stubs, and other mementos chronicling the beginnings of the love affair of Bob and Deanne Beck. Later, a slide show of their life together revealed how the soft brushstrokes of time added a touch of gray here and a line of age there to transform them from fresh-faced kids to senior citizens.

Bob and Deanne spoke graciously about the cycle of their lives as lovers, parents, companions, and forever friends. Although they endured disagreements, disappointments, and misfortunes, neither can imagine a life without the other now. At the end, they held each and danced, much as they had a half century ago. That dance was much more than a tribute to what had been; it was a declaration that there’s still more to come.

On the other side of the age spectrum, my daughter Samara turns 15 today. What a joy it is to share this stage of her life and experience her excitement about the road she sees ahead of her (including a driver’s license that will give her the steering wheel to explore it).

I don’t know where that road will take her, but I hope along the way she gets to dance with some old guy who’s been her lover, friend, and companion for 50 years.

It’s the way it should be.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.