...Was Catch Up With My Best Friend

Krista and I have been friends since we were three years old. We have the type of friendship where months could go by at a time without us speaking with each other, but then once our schedules line up and we are in the same place, it is as if no time ever passed at all. In 21 years of knowing each other, I think only two summers have gone by where we haven't spent a long weekend out at her family's house in the Hampton's, complete with dinner parties and pool games, and more recently "Stephen Talk House," and bar hopping. This is one of my favorite traditions.

Ever since I left to go to high school in Connecticut, our plan was to graduate college and move back to Manhattan ASAP. Best roommates ever! Unfortunately, I ended up taking a victory lap (5th year) at the University of Michigan and Krista decided to move to Boston, which for me, a very serious Yankee fan, was out of the question. It took two more years before we were both back on the mainland and there was no better way to celebrate our NYC roots than by being tourists for a day.

We went to Sardi's for dinner where we proceeded to talk for two hours about everything from work to boys, old memories to future plans. Then we walked over to the Hirschfeld Theater to see the B'Way revival of HAIR. Everything was great and just made me really appreciate having such a great friendship.

My mom always tells me that while you grow up, fair-weather friends will fall by the wayside and you will realize one day that you really only have a handful of good friends that you can count on in an emergency, for a helping hand, or just for a good conversation. I used to think she was crazy, but as each year goes by I notice just how true it is--the motives behind some people being your friend will come out eventually.

The important thing is to recognize the people that you can rely on, the people that you learn from, the people that move you. It's not the people that you call upon that sometimes answer and sometimes respond when they feel like it, but the small group of trusted friends that are there as soon and as best as they can be. I believe that ridding yourself from toxic relationships (whether they are platonic or romantic) is a huge factor in stress relief and happiness. And yes, I know, easier said than done.