*Pause*

Last week, Nick and I met up with one of his friends from high school for dinner after work. I don't believe that we'd seen her since our wedding, 2 1/2 years ago and before that, I don't even know. They went to the same high school and then to different colleges and finally on to different parts of Ohio. She sells purses (COACH!!!!), he does...that thing he does. Buttons and circuits and PLC's and computers. Oh yeah, and free polo shirts and an office. With a door. And a dry erase board. Yeah he does that. So other than that, its not like they've got loads in common. Somehow though, they've remained friends, keeping in touch via email and more recently, facebook. Even though it had been awhile since we'd seen her, it was like no time had passed at all. We caught up, chatted over a great dinner, without any awkward lulls that you might expect after a lapse like that.

Not that I am condoning measuring a friendship or calling someone a better friend than another, but really - doesn't it seem like conversation is a great way to gauge it? If the conversation comes with a pause button, rather than a mute button, stop button or skip button, chances are that you've stumbled upon a keeper. Spanning years and even *gasp* decades is not unheard of in some of the truly great people that we are lucky enough to know.