I Get by with a Little Help from My Friends
Friends come in all shapes and sizes. Some pop into your life for just a short while, others stay forever. Some you see every day, while others may be far away and you see them once in a while, but, when you do, it is as though you saw them yesterday.
I feel very blessed to have many friends. Some are close by, but many of them I have met while travelling or living abroad. All of them enrich my life and help make me who I am. I love to listen to them, and, even if we don’t always agree, I value their input as it makes me question my own thoughts and beliefs. It is this that helps me to learn and grow as a person.
Friends in Spain
As I write this, I am visiting some of my friends in Spain, which is always lovely. 😊One of them has a music bar, so often evenings are spent listening to music, singing and dancing. Of course, when you only see your friends three or four times a year, there is always so much to catch up on, so lots of talking too!
Lunches are always slow and long, often five or six hours. Even if we are in a restaurant or tapas bar, no-one seems to mind, and the waiters just top up your glasses every now and then. We have been known to have lunch followed by dinner without leaving the restaurant! 😊
Today, two of my friends took me on a long walk; I think the longest I have ever done in one go – 12 kilometres! We stopped to eat along the way and had a cold beer every now and then. Think I might do this once a week; you can eat all you want and walk it off at the same time!
Monastery
I spend about seven or eight weeks a year staying in a Buddhist monastery in England and have met many people who have become my friends. They come from all over the world and are all different ages, so conversations are always interesting and there is nowhere else I go that I learn so much. Sometimes we will be sitting in a field, talking very late into the night, often forgetting we have to be at puja (prayers) at 4.30 am followed by work at 5.30.
The other added bonus is that when my friends go off on their travels, I get emails and messages from all over the world. Many of these are in the middle of the night, great for an insomniac like me. 😊 I think the only downside is that it always makes my feet itch!
Friends at Home
One of the lovely things about getting older is the number of wonderful people you have accumulated along the way. I still see people I went to school with, girls who were my bridesmaids. Having moved around quite a bit, I have friends in London, Sussex and now here in my new home.
Even some of my neighbours have become friends, and I feel truly blessed to have them in my life. They all have such interesting backgrounds, and it is a real pleasure to spend time with them and get to know them a little more.
Online Friendships
Of course, we live in a time of ‘online’ friends, many who become special to us. This community of Sixty and Me brings so many wonderful people into my life, and I love to hear your comments, and try to respond to all of them. You inspire me and teach me, and I am so thankful to have you in my life.
Sometimes friends become as important as our family, in fact many of mine have become like family. I value their kindness, support, unconditional love and friendship. I hope each and every one of them knows how special they are to me, and how much I love them. 😊
Also read, Reminiscing… One of My Favourite Pastimes!
Share Your Thoughts:
What do you learn from your friends? Do you have a best friend? Are your friends close by or spread around the world?
Tags Friendships
During Covid, we would have celebrated the end of high school, its 50th anniversary. We tried to organize the meeting via email, but due to the epidemic, to meet was impossible. For the third year now, 10-15 old classmates have been zoom meeting once a month. First, one of us tells us a story, shows us pictures or music that interests her or him, and then we talk. These meetings are very important for me. Kati from Budapest, Hungary
Hi Kati, thanks for joining the conversation.This is so nice to hear :) What a fabulous way to keep in touch with friends! Lily x
Friends are truly Blessings friend ship kindness. Life in general you never known what’s around the corner a new beginning. Blessings sent.S.Tellez
Hi Stella, thanks for joining the conversation.I completely agree, friends are indeed a blessing :) Lily x
Great job meeting people! I don’t feel like I have many close friends. I was brought up in a classic way..church and family, about it. Didn’t see much church when college came, but same conservative person. Not interested in the wild side.
Was a stay at home mom. Drove kids to sports and dance classes…I never had that…just music lessons.
When They left, poverty and boredom happened quickly, ha . I was a general crafts major, no degree. So, I ended up getting a sales job at a local resort. Had experience selling my and my husband’s hand made pottery for several years before children . Conservative hippies….
This job provided clothes and eventually ,benefits. Took awhile to learn to talk to hundreds of people who came into the park by the thousands from all over the world. Quite the learning experience. Met many people from different walks of life. Some with longer chats than others. Good experience. Kinda nice to leave it all at work. A few times some of us ventured out together outside work.
Just a couple I communicate with outside work hours. Differences are many,some similarities.
Hi Kat, thanks for joining the conversation.You seem to have a huge amount of skills and lovely qualities. I love having friends who are different to me as this is how I learn and sometimes, question my own thoughts and beliefs. Lily x
Today, as I was checking out of Costco in snowy and very cold St. Louis, my checker Shiela described meeting up with a friend she hadnt been with since she was 13. A highschool class reunion brought them back together. Her friend’s brother, A Vietnam Vet needs help and Shiela doesn’t live far from him. Health complications and major decisions must be made. How edifyingcit it that they can both lean on each other for support. Be out there— for others!!!
Hi Susan thanks for joining the conversation. Thank you for telling us this beautiful story. Sometimes we all need a little help and support. Lily x
My greatest regret at this point in my life is my lack of close friends. I do not know how it happened but they are no longer there.
Hi Ethel thanks for joining the conversation. I guess as we get older we do lose friends from one thing or another. But it’s never too late to make new friends. I have just moved to a completely new part of the country. Some of my neighbours have become friends already, and I am going to pilates and aqua aerobics where I have also met many people I hope will become friends. Just about to join Rock Choir :) Lily x