Contemplative Pose
My best friends, oddly enough, are the ones who surround me now. I say "oddly enough" only because I have come to realize that adult friendships, particularly friendships that begin in adulthood, are somewhat rare.
Several of us have been together for 16 years. We met through a church that most of us no longer attend, parents of young children who were starving for adult companionship. Most of the women had recently left the workplace, or were about to, and found oursleves working harder than we ever had in our lives, but without the comraderie of the water fountain. Most of the men were in the early stages of careers that were becoming increasingly demanding as the new world of ten and twelve-hour days in the office claimed their time, and finding that they were isolated from their growing families.
For several years the women got together, without fail, one morning a week, solidifying friendships as the children played nearby and, eventually, went off to school. We all spent frequent evenings together. But then, as the women started going back to work and the children required frequent afternoon, evening, and week-end transportation -- to soccer games, hockey games, music lessons, ice skating lessons, riding lessons, Scouts, you name it and suburban parents will find it -- our time together started to dwindle.
A couple of years ago we designated Saturday mornings as sacrosanct. We drift into a local coffeee shop, staying sometimes a few minutes, sometimes well beyond lunchtime. We never stop talking. We have seen each other through personal career achievements and disasters, through deaths of parents and divorces of our own, through anguish over adolescent trauma that we could never have imagined would befall those shining-faced children of ours, and through graduations and college admissions. Now the first big wedding is coming up.
My childhood did not lend itself to the development of any "best friend" relationships. But in adulthood I have been far more fortunate.
Walked: Fit in 2 miles after a very long thunderstorm in the late afternoon/early evening.
Walked this past week: 19.5 miles.
9 comments:
How wonderful for you! No wonder you don't ever want to move. The first wedding should be very fun, can't wait to hear about it.
Wow - you are indeed fortunate to have found people who treasure friendship so dearly. Like anything else worth having...a lasting friendship takes commitment. Many of us feel lucky to have one such friend. You are truly blessed.
:)
Those friendships sound like nirvana. It's great to have a support network like that to fall back down. Are the children still friends?
You must have gotten your "big photo" instructions.... beautiful. I enjoyed hearing of the wonderful friendships you have. You are so fortunate to have had such a great support network over the years.
You are very blessed! Pamela
That's alot of walking Robin. Good job.
You are very blessed to have made such good and lasting friends.
http://journals.aol.com/fisherkristina/SometimesIThink
Gorgeous photo...beautiful stories of friendship. Thanks for sharing them both.
I'd love to have you read and comment on my childhood friendship...although I also cherish and respect the bonds of friendship that I have initaiated in adulthood. In some ways, these 'adult' friendships are even more important, because with age we develop a better sense of ourselves, our needs, and the importance of connections in life.
PS...where is this statue located?
I'd like to read yours -- where is it? The statute is a grave marker in the cemetery where I walk sometimes; I've been doing a series of my cemetery photos.
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