I have gone through many stages in my life as far as friendships go; I think my experiences are pretty typical of the average woman but who knows…I may be an unusual case. What it boils down to for me is that friendships have an ebb and a flow to them. Though you might have a few “Forever Friends”, people generally come into and go out of your life for a reason, sometimes for support, sometimes to be supported, sometimes to teach us something, and sometimes for reasons unknown to us.
When Jim and I were first married, he was in the Navy. I had many friends in the other Navy wives who stuck together and supported each other when the guys were out to sea, and I was supertight with my crazy-in-a-good-way, perfect cheering, middle-of-the-night ballet dancing, plumbing expertise-impaired partner, Dawn.
We eventually moved to Wisconsin and started our family, and my friends became the other young moms in my neighborhood and at the little women’s-only health club where I worked in the nursery.
Then we moved to this town and I was good friends with lots of moms in the neighborhood; we had a babysitting co-op, a scrapbooking group, and occasional nights out.
When the older boy started elementary school, my friends were the other moms from his class, especially my co-roommoms: we could plan some “mean” class parties.
A couple of years went by and I became very close with someone who, for a couple of years, was my best friend. I had lots and lots of acquaintances and people who I sort of considered friends, but she was the main person I spent time with. That relationship ended seven years ago, badly. It was a really, really stressful time but I laugh now because I consider it the biggest “breakup” of my life, and it was with a woman. (Don’t read between the lines. It’s exactly as I wrote it, nothing more.) It changed my life forever. For the better, actually. I might post about it someday.
Since then, the kids have grown older (they tend to do that) and we’ve been busier (that happens) and my time for in-person friendships has really dwindled down to “not much”. Everyone who is in my “stage” with kids the same age is just as busy, and trying to pick a date for getting together that fits into the schedules of all parties involved is nearly impossible, so for the past few years I can say that I have many, many friends but hardly any who I spend actual time with.
But friendships take time and effort, and sometimes a shuffling around of your schedule. A couple of years ago I started talking to someone who is also a member at my temple. Debbie has been pretty involved there, like me, but I didn’t know her very well. We had some time to chat around the time of our Purim Carnival and after I went home, I thought, “Hmm. I should see if she wants to go to lunch or something.”
The next time I saw her, I said something like, “I almost feel like I’m asking you out on a date, but I have really enjoyed talking to you lately and wondered if you might want to meet for lunch?”
As it turned out, she had been wondering the same thing. We both knew lots of ladies at the temple but didn’t do much socially outside of the temple and thought it would be fun. So we met for lunch shortly after that and became good friends! She is such a lovely person; she’s ALWAYS smiling, she’s really thoughtful, she’s a fabulous mom, and a great friend. We’ve had some fun lunches together, and many hours have been spent on the phone. Our individual schedules have gotten absolutely crazed over the past nine months or so, but we know the other is just a phone call away.
Recently, her hubby got a job far away from here. SUCH a bummer. Though I know we’ll stay in touch and be friends no matter where we live, she’s going to leave a big hole around here.
I arranged for about twenty of her friends from the temple to get together last night at a pizza place so she could spend some time with everybody before she leaves town. When I spoke to her in the afternoon, she was adamant that she wasn’t saying goodbye to anybody. She said, “I’m just going to say ‘See you later!'”
I pointed out that she WILL see us later, because they’re coming back in December for her daughter’s Bat Mitzvah. “I know,” she said, “but still…”
And so, A “See You Later” party it was. Get a bunch of women in one room, sitting around a huge table, and the noise is deafening. Everyone was talking and laughing; you could be involved in five conversations at once. It was crazy, loud, totally overstimulating…and really fun.
I made a lovely cake for dessert:
Of course it was a rainbow cake!
Although we talked about Debbie’s plans in her new town, the evening was really upbeat: just a bunch of friends hanging out together.
Debbie went right home and put her photos on her Facebook page; comments started being posted immediately. One in particular made me smile, because it included something I remember from when I was a girl scout, something I had been thinking about all evening:
Make new friends, but keep the old
One is silver and the other gold.
I’m not saying goodbye, Debbie…just “See ya later!” Don’t forget I’m still only a phone call away! xoxo
11 Comments
WeaselMomma
#1 ~ Good luck to Debbie and I hope this move works out well for her family.
#2 ~ That is a beautiful cake and I am duly impressed.
#3 ~ I want some of that cake.
Sue
mmmmmm cake! That is a beautiful cake, but I would expect nothing less from YOU!
I now have the girl scout song stuck in my head, where it will replay for the entire day.
Good luck to Debbie! I guess you have to get back out on the "dating" scene! Hahahahahah
Mom24
Sorry for your friend's leaving.
I'd love to hear the story of your previous friend. I'm really struggling with a friendship right now.
That cake looked wonderful.
House of Jules
So sad to hear Debbie & fam are moving… best of luck & hopefully she'll come back to visit!
Great cake. I'm salivating.
surprised mom
Good luck to Debbie. May the move be a good one and may she find herself coming back to visit frequently. The party looks like it was fun!
The cake looked absolutely fabulous and I wish I had a a piece in front of me right now!
I hope you do blog about your other friendship. I had something like that happen to me. It always left me with a sad, nagging feeling.
Melissa
OK, holy crap, girlie! How much weight have you lost. That shredding thing…so working for you!!
I wondered what the "see you later thing was about." How very cool of you to set up a "later party for her."
We need to do lunch…I think I have an open date in July…does that fit into your busy schedule? 🙂
♫ Spasm ♫
thanks for blogging that, I am new to the female frienshpi arena and I needed to read what you shared. thanks
Otter Thomas
Seeing a friend go is always sad. Sorry about yours. Making new friends as adults is difficult. It is especially hard for guys. We are weird about those things.
Michelle
Well done… and I love how the house part was a totally separate cake! What a great friend you are (and yes, I know that already).
Out of curiosity, why does the bat mitzvah happen here vs the new temple? Is there prep before hand that she'll continue there that was started here or just because this is where people know her or?…
Melisa with one S
Weaselmomma: Maybe I'll make you one for your next birthday.
Sue: Ha ha! No dating for me anymore: even for friends. 🙂
Mom24 & Surprised Mom: I'll think about it. It's a very detailed story and I would need to figure out how to write about it without going on for days but still getting the idea across…
Melissa: Stop it! You're making me blush. I have only lost about 4-ish pounds so far. 🙁
Spasm: You're welcome! 🙂
Otter: Probably not weird, just different. Nothing wrong with that!
Michelle: She already had her Bat Mitzvah date for one thing. For another, it's a rule here (and I imagine in general) that before having your ceremony in a new place, you go through a full year of holidays and rituals. She's already well-ensconced here, so they'll work with her long-distance I guess on the tutoring, and she'll have her ceremony as planned with the friends and family who already love her, not just the new ones who will love her later in the year… 🙂
The Microblogologist
Sucks that your friend is moving away! Glad you guys had such a good time =)