Another great piece. Your thoughts always seem to stir up more thought.

I've had a lot of "friends" in my life, but there is one in particular that, IMO, defines best friends.
Unfortunately, we're miles apart and don't talk much these days. But when we got together a few months ago, a few things struck me.
One - Talking was easy, about anything. We shared, laughed, were troubled, etc. There was absolutely no awkwardness. It was like we picked up on a conversation we started years ago but hadn't been able to continue because of life.
Two - Silence is not awkward. A lot of folks feel like they need to fill the silence as if it's a void. With best friends, the silence is part of the sharing and needs nothing more. Just being there is expression enough.
Three - There was no judgment. Sharing real life issues results in empathy and/or shared happiness.
Four - There's no real need for followup. Polite meetings generally require some sort of followup thanking the other for their time. With best friends, you can just hug and plan on seeing each other someday, but there's no pressure and no expectation of gratitude. The blessing was mutual and in some ways sorta taken for granted even while treasured.

A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.