March’s arrival is the first indication that Spring is on the way. With Spring comes new growth, new beginnings and more time outdoors. Spring is particularly significant for me this year as I make my way on my new journey. Making new friends and developed new routines in my life is the order of the day for me. This monthly post being one of those new routines. Life will always be changing and hopefully growing in a positive direction.
Yesterday, I had an interesting chat with my friend Marty. Marty and I are both fairly outgoing people who are open to meeting new people, seeing new places and trying new things. Talking to people in line at the grocery store, at the next table in a restaurant or admiring someone’s pet on a walk creates opportunities to connect with the world around us. Looking back on my life, there are a long list of friendships that have developed because of chance encounters along the way. My long-time friends in Belgium, we met on holiday in Portugal because we asked to sit at the table next to them on New Year’s Eve. Friends closer to home are spread out across Canada and the United States. People we encountered in our travels. Recently, I have developed friendships with people I have met through common interest groups on Face Book and via Zoom. Zoom has proven to be a benefit for myself and many others during the past two years of forced isolation due to the pandemic. It has kept me connected to art groups that I belonged to prior to 2020 and has allowed me to make friends with new people. There are also people that you knew in the past who surface again in the most unlikely places.
Last week, while attending the Artist’s Workshop in Port Dover, I reconnected with people I knew when I was teaching and creating silk scarves in the 80’s. What a blast from the past that was. Coincidentally, they still have my hand painted silk scarves proving that when I said they would last forever, I was right. It was so great to see them and catch up. Some friendships are fleeting, some are always there. You can go a very long time without seeing a friend but when you connect again it’s like you have never been apart. You just pick up where you left off. That is truly a friend of a lifetime.
For me, friendships are very important. Conversations with friends broaden my thinking, help me solve problems and just generally help me see things in a new light. My friends who are outside of the box thinkers are so very interesting to talk to. I can’t say I always agree with their theories but it makes me think. As the days grow longer and the temperatures become more bearable, I encourage you to step outside of your home and perhaps your comfort zone. Reach out and talk to a stranger in line or walking outside. You never know what you will discover about them, the world and most importantly about yourself.
Comments