It feels just like yesterday...

I would guess that over the years I have probably interacted with around 3000 people through school, work and social life. I have probably interacted with twice that many if you count people I have talked to whether its a clerk, waiter or sales person. These are just facts that we interact with people every day, most times only once and never see them again.

Supposedly with social media I have around 300 or so active "friends". Which I can say that a third of them I have never met outside of my computer. And most of the others I haven't seen in years, but its fun to see them on-line. I would really classify most of them more as acquaintances then friends, not saying that as a bad thing, just that I really don't connect with most of them other then passing comments. And I am sure they would say the same of me.

The term friend can be looked at is so many varying degrees. From someone you just met while having a beer; to people you have know since you were a child. There are probably just as many degrees of friendship as there are the amount of people you call friend. Most are really just acquaintances and not really true friends. It has become so common to call anyone that you know, and don't dislike, as a friend.

That being said... I have a test, or rather a qualification, that I have used over the years to gauge in my mind whom I would really call a true friend. It isn't something that can be used for people you see every day. It only works when a long amount of time has gone by since the last time you have seen or communicated with a person. (i.e. phone, email or god forbid a written letter.) No mater the amount of time that has passed since last  time you interacted with the person; it doesn't feel like a day has gone by. It feels like it was just  yesterday that you saw them and you pick right up with your relationship as if you have been talking to each other every day for years.

Just last week I had the pleasure of reuniting with a friend that I went to grade school and graduated from high school with. We hadn't seen each other in 20 years. People go off to school, move to other parts of the country/world, get married and start new lives; these things happen. But when it been 20 years since you have seen someone and you get together to hang out and then proceed to talk for 6 straight hours laughing and having a great time, just like you always did. Those are the  people in my life that I truly call friend and mean it from the core of my soul.

I feel lucky to say that I have had many people in my life that I can call true friends, because when I see them it feels just like yesterday that I saw them.