This weekend I got an unexpected call from Maria. She’s the one friend I call a childhood friend. Our parents have been friends for ages; I can’t remember when Maria and I started hanging out together. But I probably haven’t even talked to her for a year or two. So it was a very pleasant surprise when she called me from Greece. She has an email address now, so hopefully we will keep in touch.

I have been sensitive to estrangement from old friends, especially since Iole’s death. However aware I am of it, I often feel helpless in the face of distance and circumstances. But see, all it takes is a phone call.