âI am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam.â â J.R.R. Tolkien,â The Return of the Kingâ The news came as a great surprise. My husbandâs very dear lifelong friend. He had been sick, Stage 4 lung cancer. He was so close to the next trial, but chemotherapy weakened him too much. And my husband and several friends are left with funny and meaningful memories. They might not have gone to the edges of the Earth like Sam and Frodo, but they shared some great adventures. We always hear of âgirlfriendsâ and how important they are, but whether Bernie and Mark or Frodo and Sam, we can be certain âbrofriendsâ are important, too.