Friendship among social outsiders is a common theme in Capote's writings. In "A Christmas Memory," the relationship between Buddy and his friend is a vital source of strength for the narrator. Both Buddy and his friend feel like outsiders within their own home, where other family members "have power over [them], and frequently make [them] cry." However, they are usually "not too much aware of them" because their friendship acts as a refuge. This connection is possible because, although his cousin is "sixty-something," she remains "still a child" at heart and shares Buddy's innocent outlook on life. The depth of their friendship is underscored by the fact that the narrator’s real name is not Buddy; it is a name given to him by his friend, and it is the only name the reader knows. Through his cousin, Buddy learns to see the beauty of nature as a reflection of God's presence and understands that money isn't the only measure of worth. When the "rich mill owner’s lazy wife" attempts to purchase their Christmas tree, his friend declares, "We wouldn’t take a dollar," highlighting the inherent value of nature by saying, "There’s never two of anything." This friendship provides Buddy with the resilience to cope after they are separated, even as he recognizes the irreversible loss of his childhood innocence: "Home is where my friend is, and there I never go." Even two decades later, he likens their friendship to a "lost pair of kites hurrying toward heaven."