My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.

Jane Austen (1775 – 1817), Persuasion, 1818

If you’ve got to be in the car for anything over five hours it helps to have a light at the end of the tunnel that isn’t a train…just sayin.  When the day is done and your meetings went very well and you’re ready to kick back it’s especially nice to do it in good company.  That usually means someone who can just welcome you and live in plan B for a tiny period of time.  Someone who can take time out of their own routine to insure your visit is delightful, I call that a good friend.

A really good friend will walk with you to get the blood circulating again, hand you a glass of wine and just wait for the exhale.  Walk a bit more to eat with you in a fabulous restaurant exploring the menu and taking a chance on something that might not be familiar.  Lingering over the meal and the wine/martinis and catching up on all that we may have missed over the last few years that life has gotten in the way of seeing each other more often.  It’s a rich conversation, a funny conversation, a smart and poignant conversation that seems like we’ve never missed a beat. How I love a good conversation that defies the boundaries of time.

Continue on to something sweet at the bar, of course, and laughs and giggles with the bartender, when was the last time I remember doing that? Jeez.  Still not tired still chatting still laughing, thoughtful moments with tears on the brink but never spilling over; this is a true catch up.

The next morning explore the city from a native’s perspective finding more and more in common among the people we meet and each other.  Camera in hand, capturing our time together, even on a no makeup Friday, enjoying the glorious weather and the history that is Old City Philly we promise to keep in better touch.  This was too much fun not to.

There are people that come into your life and immediately make themselves indispensable, who understand that legacy means living your life the way you want your story told. It is a rare and precious gift to have people like this and to make sure you don’t lose them to anything as silly as the passage of time is imperative.

Happy Birthday Bethie, you know I wish you enough.