Fading quickly

It saddens me to think of how ephemeral relationships can be. Not romances (everyone knows those are fleeting), but solid friendships that I had convinced myself would never fade. It doesn't bother me if a friend of mine forgets my birthday or doesn't call me often enough. In fact, I think the quality of being able to pick up right where you left off despite lack of communication is one of the defining characteristics of a friendship that can stand the test of time. You don't have to talk every week or even every month, but somehow, nothing's changed the next time you hang out. Sure, boys have come and gone, people have moved, jobs have changed... but the warmth and the closeness of the friendship remains. I have been blessed with a handful of these friends in my life, and I thank God for them. But when a friendship becomes distant (in terms of closeness, not miles) and the warmth feels merely cursory, I wonder why I bother trying to breathe life into something that's obviously on its way out for at least some period of time, maybe forever.