A few weeks ago I got together with an old friend. We met 13 years ago in college. We talk on the phone 2 to 3 times a week and often daily. It had been a while since she and I had got together to go out and then spend some time talking face to face. I drove to her house, we talked, went out to dinner, then back to her house. The two of us talked and laughed for hours. We ended up talking as sunset turned to dusk, which turned into night. As I drove home in the middle of the night I felt a happy contentment that only comes with getting together with a cherished friend. That is when I remembered a wonderful book I read at the beginning of summer. The main character in the novel was named Sammar, pronounced like summer. Someone asked her why her parents named her that and she said Sammar means deep conversation between friends that lasts way into the night. There is something about those long talks between friends which last for hours that hold meaning for people; those seem to be the best conversations, so meaningful. I hope that everyone gets to experience sammar more often to bring us closer together, more understanding, clarity, and deeper friendships.