What I mean to say here is longstanding friends rather than old in chronological years although these days the two may well be the same thing. When you have known somebody since you were 11 or in the case of one of my best friends since 5 something truly magic and transformational seems to happen. You may not see them for months or even years, they may live in another country or half way across the other side of the world, yet when you meet again the intervening years just fall away and it seems like yesterday that you were having a good old gossip. Sometimes there isn’t even the necessity for words just a very comfortable silence as if you can read each others thoughts. Through the good times and the bad you know that there is always someone there for you and it is priceless.
| Image from Google Images |
This is in no way to denigrate the value of making new friends and connections. As we get older it becomes increasingly important to keep learning, meeting new people and expanding our world. It helps to keep us up to date, young and vibrant especially if our new acquaintances are from a different culture or speak a different language. It adds richness to our lives to expand (maybe not our waistlines) our horizons, broaden our view of the world and keep our little grey cells working.
Finally not forgetting all the new friends I have met over the Internet since starting my blog. You are all welcome and add richness to my life in a different way. Thank you.
What are your thoughts about friendship, either longstanding or new. How important do you find friendship in your life? What do you find the best way to meet new people and make new friends. I would love to know.
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Making friends through blogging allows me to meet many more people with similar interests than just the people geographically close to me.
Lovely blog. I don't know where I'd be without friends. I wouldn't say I have a huge number of friends, but the ones I do have are very important to me. Funnily enough, last year I got back in touch with an old primary school friend of mine who is also called Zoe. It was lovely to see her again and we're still in contact. Considering how much time I've spent abroad, my friends tend to be rather spread out across Europe, but it's always great to meet up again.
Zoe x
I've read that friendships are one of the most important factors in staying healthy as we age, so loved your post. I think 'old' and 'new' friends are important in different ways. Just as you state, meeting blogging friends has been invaluable and I now consider this community an important part of my life.
Having just waved goodbye again to my best friend of 28 years as she returns home to Australia, I can only agree with everything you say! 'Old' friends are more than just friends, they are family, they are tied to me and part of me. Some of them irritate me enormously, some of them are irritated by me. But I could never deny their presence in my life. Friendships, both old and new, are complex relationships that can be difficult to describe but are absolutely essential to give meaning to one's life.