Gut Talks

I recently spent a wonderful evening with a very dear friend. At the time that I know she usually likes to end her day's activities and get ready for bed, I started preparing to leave and she surprised me by saying, "Oh please don't go just yet; we are having such a good gut talk." Gut talk? I had never heard that term, but she went on to elaborate about how she can spend time with many people, one on one, but with very few people has she reached a level of relationship where it is possible to have a thoroughly comfortable "gut talk." Interesting term... gut talk... my definition being (and I believe hers as well)... a conversation between parties where nothing is held back, true feelings are expressed on any given subject, with both parties feeling totally comfortable and at ease with the conversation. My friend went on to name a few people with whom I know she has a deep friendship, but she revealed that she could not engage in a gut talk with them. One specific example she gave indicated that over the course of a long period of time, they are "just beginning to reach the outer fringes of a possible gut talk." After thinking about various people who are important in my life and putting my relationship with them to the "gut talk test," I have concluded that my friend was right. There are very few people who could pass the test with me; in fact she may be about the only one. So... we continued our "gut talk" for another hour and a wonderful hour it was indeed!