I have a dear friend who lives 2 time zones away. We’ve known each other since Kindergarten. We only talk a couple times a year, but when we do, it’s like we pick up where we left off. Another close friend was in first grade with us (we’re 42 now), and although he still lives close to me, we are also so busy with our lives that we rarely speak. For us, our friendship is unconditional, so we don’t keep tabs on who called whom last or any of that other petty crap. That’s the key to maintaining any relationship… no judgements and no expectations.