Friendships That Outlast Their Origins

What makes some relationships go from casual to deeply personal? We all have them — people we met by chance, started talking to, and somewhere along the way realised had quietly become a part of our lives. Now we can't imagine not speaking to them. These are the friendships that are both beautiful and enduring. Not everyone has them. But there is a discernible pattern to how they take root and flourish. All friendships require a shared environment — somewhere you can engage with many people at once, without effort. A school, a college, a corporate office. You begin with common struggles. You inhabit the same space, so the engagement doesn't need to be planned or manufactured. It happens on its own, which is precisely what stops happening when the environment is no longer shared. Long-distance relationships are hard for this reason. The environment is no longer mutual, so everything has to be willed into existence. You have to remind yourself to call them, check on their state of mind,…