There are always exceptions to the rule

Once upon a time ago, 

I found this girl sitting in the hallway outside of my classroom, reading Anne of Green Gables, wide eyed and ready to soak in the deep things of life.

Immediately we knew: we had a lot to talk about.

And then, this girl became more than just a student; an exception to the rule, she became a trusted friend.

Life, however, took us in different directions, and gave us three years without even one of those deep conversations we'd come to love.  That would be why when she found herself in my little town,

we knew there needed to be a reunion.  Granting myself an exception to my 'cancel my life in order to graduate" rule, we found ourselves at the local fruit farm, indulging  in equal parts

cozy fire,

delicious food,

and ridiculous laughter-ful fun.

We spent hours that felt like minutes, remembering where we'd been, filling each other in on what we'd missed, and pointing each other toward the deepest truths we'd found along the way.

And, by the end of it, I was reminded of an important rule for living:  Exceptions to the rules should always be allowed.