Some statistics don’t need to be super exact. It’s sufficient to use a rule of thumb.

How often did you meet?

How often will you meet?

If friends see one another once a year, the rule of thumb tells us that it will not change.

When we are young, this means that there is a good probability that we’ll see one another let’s say 40 more times.

As we grow older, this number naturally reduces itself.

The number doesn’t say anything about the quality of the friendship.

It helps us stay aware of the time passing by.

There is no prize to be won here.

It might have been all that was possible. It might have been what we were willing to invest.

And it might be one of those situations where looking back tells us how aware we’ve been of our choice.