A text came through yesterday afternoon from a dear friend, asking if she’d see me that night.

It’s been that kind of year, or at least that kind of few months. The chaos of life has swirled and enveloped me and those in my closest circles, unintentionally flinging other people off to the wayside. Without even intending it, some friendships fell to the wayside, and somehow, three months went by without communication.

Blink, and you miss someone.

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I tend to describe my friend Jenny’s annual benefit concert/birthday party, Dancing on the Valentine as my favorite night of the year, primarily because it consistently lives up to that billing. Aside from the excellent selection of hand-picked bands covering beloved songs, and a magical photo booth that somehow makes my mediocre self look good, the night has a habit of bringing all the best people in Seattle to the same place, blocks from my home.

Last night, talking to one of those friends who’s recently suffered a breakup, I expressed bewilderment at how long it had been since we’d spoken. She offered that it was a sign of confidence, that we could lose touch for a while, but still remain friends for the long haul. That we always knew that, even if our friendship faded in the Fall, our mid-winter eve would always bring us back together, to start things anew.

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Another friend told me a tale last night of how he reconnected with someone we thought had long ago disappeared, and I felt a sense of pride on his behalf as he described the events. There had been so much speculation, those many years ago, about so many things, and now, some answers emerged, at long last.

It was that kind of night. A night for photos, for celebration, for remembrances of some long gone friendships, and rekindling of others.

I’ve always been an out-of-sight, out-of-mind type. People have come and gone without me so much as blinking, and my phone’s contact list is a graveyard of people I’ve forgotten, or at least tried to. But today, as I rode in a car, hundreds of miles from home and counting, a text came in from someone saying how good it was to see me last night, and I immediately reciprocated the thought.

It had been months, but it won’t be again.