Last week we asked readers to tell us about the intergenerational bonds in their lives. Hundreds of you responded.

• Why it matters: We can learn so much from friends who are older or younger. And these friendships tend to last.

Check out some of the intergenerational friendships in the Finish Line family:

Jeremy S., Birmingham, Ala.: "In early 2019, I was invited to run regularly with a professional associate who was 18 years older than me and who I'd never had a personal relationship with. I was 39 years old at the time and Mark was 57. ... Mark became one of the people that I saw most regularly, running together Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. ... Mark served as my best man at my wedding in December of 2020."

• "Mark and I have continued to run together several times a week, for hours on end, training for marathons and talking about life. Our families and children have each suffered from depression. We've walked through this together. When I fell ill to COVID in 2022, Mark and his wife took me into their home to [quarantine] so that my immunocompromised wife would not be put at risk."
• "Mark is one of my best friends, regardless of age. He's also a better, faster runner than me, considering he's run the Boston Marathon as a qualifier. And, with respect to age, he's the quality of man I wish to develop into."

Ben C., Greenfield, Mass.: "When working in D.C. after college, I bounced around northwest neighborhoods for years. [In the early 2000s,] I bought a small row house on Warner Street in Shaw, a historically Black neighborhood. I was understandably seen as an interloper. I'm having coffee on my stoop a few weeks in, and hear, 'Hi, son!' from a neighbor across the street: Grandma Sheila."

• "She was born, raised and still lived in the same house. She was beloved. We became instant friends. We coordinated the annual block party. She took me to her Baptist church on occasion, and we would often have Sunday dinner together. She was my second mom."
• "I'm now 44. She is in her 70s. I'm now back in Massachusetts, but we talk every month or so. She even exchanges holiday cards with my parents. She taught me many lessons in life, chief among them: the importance of family."

Brooke L., Richmond, Va.: "This is my dear friend May Fox. She is 75, and I'm 52! We are the best of friends! Like your article said, we both enjoy and admire what we bring to the table at our different ages."

• "May is an amazing person and a heck of an athlete. We are pickleball partners. In this picture, we had just won our match 2-0!"

Mohita G.: "I want to tell you about my best friend Fritz. He was my next-door neighbor at work. At the time we met, I was a tiny Indian person all of 22 years of age. He was a Dutch gentle giant who was all of 62 years old."

• "A typical day at work started with a morning coffee and gossip. ... Then at 12 p.m., there would be a knock on my door for us to go running during our lunch break.'
• "At 4 p.m., I would go to his office, and we would share an apple. He would tell me about his life as a hippie in the '70s backpacking through Europe and how my generation was so paranoid. ... At 4:30 p.m., I would pack my bags and leave, only to see him the next day."

Tom P., San Francisco: "I'm 58 years old and one of my closest friends, Javier, is 31. He came to the U.S. when he was 16 from Mexico, speaking very little English. I grew up in rural Louisiana. He's kind, genuine, empathetic, and despite our myriad differences, we have the same sense of humor. Everything is just really easy with Javier."

• "As a gay man, I came of age in the late '80s/early '90s when the generation above me was being wiped out by AIDS. My generation grew up without gay male role models or mentors. We had to figure everything out by ourselves."
• "In a time when our community is newly under attack, it's never been more important for gay men to build a healthy and supportive community."
• "I know Javier looks to me to provide advice, guidance and mentorship. But what he gives me is equally valuable: a warm, caring, genuine connection and an understanding of the younger gay male community. I've learned so much from him!"

Thanks to readers who sent us stories about their most prized possessions, in response to our call for tales about the stuff that matters to you. We'll include some of your responses in future editions of Finish Line.

• Here's a sneak peek, via reader Carolynn N. from Spokane, Wash.:

"This radio was in our garage when I was growing up. My dad listened to Giants baseball games as he was working on projects out there. It now sits in my living room, and I can think about him when I look at it."