A Plus Attitudes

Today’s blog is about friendship. As I mature, I find it harder to meet people let alone form a friendship bond. The opportunities just aren’t  there like they used to be. My kids are older. My son is an adult and my daughter is in high school, so I don’t have much interecation with the parents like I did when the kids were younger. I work from home as do my co-workers, so there isn’t that hanging out by the coffee pot and striking up a spontaneous conversation.

I also find that I am much more selective with my friendships as I move forward in my life. I have formed some not-so-successful friendships in the past where I got burned and hurt, or friendships that my husband pointed out were more like “projects” then friends. I think all of us have had high-maintenance, “projects” for friends. I’m not interested in “high-maintenance” friends. Life offers up enough drama without having to introduce more. I lost a brother and a dad within a year of each other and I have an aging mother, so that’s all the drama I really need.

I welcome calm, quiet and solitude and seize it when I can. Perhaps that is why I am at the place where I am now? Perhaps I sought solitude a little too much that I built a cocoon around myself?

We recently had a house guest. My long-time, dear friend, Karen, of more than 30 years  took to the road to meet up with her friends from the north. Karen is a southern belle. Karen and I met over 30 years ago when we were both working in the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport at car rental agencies. I was in college while working at the car rental agency. Karen came over and introduced herself to me(we worked for different car agencies). We immediately hit it off and have been friends ever since.

A lot happens in one’s life over a span of 30 years. Karen eventually moved back to the South when her father took ill over 25 years ago. She’s been married twice and is currently going through a rough divorce from her second marriage. Her divorce is the main reason she is making the road trip. This divorce has been very hard for her emotionally and financially and she is turning to her dear, long-time friends for support(emotional, her finances will be okay once the divorce is final, at least we hope).

Having Karen in my life has made me value friendship even more. She has been all over the world and through 2 marriages and yet we manage to stay close friends. We pick up where ever we left off regardless of the time span since our last encounter. We spent this past week together laughing, crying, swearing, having a couple of drinks, shopping, napping( for some reason, Karen and I are good nap partners; our circadian rhythms must be in sync”) cooking, cleaning, etc.

I think that we get along so well because we accept eachother for whom we are. We don’t judge, we listen, sometimes we advise, but mostly we are just there for eachother. That’s why I am writing about friendship today.

A truly good friendship is rare and I am fortunate enough to have a friend like Karen that I can call a true friend. I can tell her I love her without it feeling awkward because I do love her. She is like a sister to me. So thank you Universe for the true but rare friendships in my life. I do treasure them!