I'm writing a birthday card for a dear friend whom I met while we were sophomores at UCSB. Over the years we've occasionally worked at the same places, taken the same classes, lived together and taken climbing trips together. Next year, we'll have been friends for half our lives.

Blam! That really brings things into perspective.

We met when we were 20. We've been friends for 20 years. We're nearly 40.