Since I’ve been coming into contact with a lot of people from my past and losing contact (or at least proximity) with a lot of people from my present, I’ve been thinking a lot about friendship.

I’ve discovered that while there is a fairly clear line between a person who is a friend and an acquaintance, within the realm of friendship there are also many different levels. The term “friend” seems too all-encompassing, and even the term “best friend” or “close friend” doesn’t really make that much of difference.

What surprises me the most is that there are some friendships where a year or more can pass, yet once we reconnect, it is the same as always. While there are others where a few months is enough to turn that person into a stranger. This is true regardless of how much time I’ve spent with the person overall. There’s a certain closeness that I share with certain people that never seems to break no matter the distance (even the ukraine or the caribbean) or the time apart.

And I have to say, while it’s super depressing when I realize that people I thought were my friends have become strangers, I very much cherish those moments when I realize I’ve found that type of friend in which closeness is a feeling and not a length of time, a forced effort or distance.