I called an old friend from college today. [Her name's Michelle. I called to wish her an advanced "Happy Birthday!"] It was good to re-connect, swap stories and do some very necessary catching up.

It's food for ths soul.

I read somewhere (Reader's Digest, I think) that there are different types of friendships and how we shouldn't fret when some of them don't last. [Like some friends from school... friends for so long as we're together but inevitably (sadly) we lose touch. Friends for the moment. Friends for today.]

What really interests me, however, is why some friendships last and some do not? Much more interesting, what are the factors that lead us to re-connect with some lost friends but not others?

Take Michelle, for example. I hadn't seen or heard from her for over a year since we graduated college. Before we parted ways, she gave me a note with her street address, telephone number and that age old admonishment to "stay in touch." I didn't, not for a whole year. She didn't either. But one day, I decided to write. And she wrote back. And we haven't really lost touch since then.

Or take Tristan. I hadn't seen the guy in five years, not since we graduated from High School. Then, one day, I receive that proverbial call in the night. In the five years since, he'd moved to Sydney. He came home for a brief visit and was wondering how (and where) the hell I was? Like Michelle, I haven't really lost touch with him since then either.

I wonder what drove us? To cast a line into the wild blue yonder and hope you'll get an answer.

And rejoice when you do.