I have a few friends who I am very close to. I meet them rarely. I don't even talk to them regularly. But I know for sure that if I get into any trouble and I call them, I can count on them. These are people who genuinely care for me. The important thing is that there are no expectations. I don't expect them to do anything to know that they care for me. I know that they do.
I find that the younger you are when you form these friendships, the more genuine they are. As you grow older, friendships become more out of need than genuine bonding. I remember my friend Chetan's dad telling me after we had graduated out of engineering college, "Friendships you made during these days are those that will last you forever because these are made without any motive!" So true!
As we grow older, we lose our innocence and friendship becomes another commodity. When we are kids, we make friends because we truly enjoy being in their company.
When friendships are genuine, there are no expectations. I wouldn't be upset if my close friends don't wish me for my birthday. I would be happy if they did but I wouldn't hold it against them if they didn't. That is the beauty of it all. When you expect something from your friends, its simply that they're not close enough!