Make New Friends

When I was a small girl, I joined the Brownies (The introduction group to Girl Scouts) where I learned to; Make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other gold. Did you sing along with me? It’s a good tune and good advice. After four decades I am blessed with a handful of precious friends I love dearly. Some friends I see and talk with as much as possible, others I haven’t seen in years.

Sometimes as we get older life sweeps us away. We are afloat in kids, careers, errands, and responsibilities, making time a precious commodity. It can seem something always comes up, people move farther away, schedules just don’t match, and/or months turn into years. Before you know it, their kids are half grown, and you think “Well maybe we can get together in a couple more years.” Keeping them in your heart, you send them love from Facebook and get on with life. When these things happen, it can leave a void to fill. What do we do in the mean time?

I suggest we make new friends of course. I have been hesitant in the past about making new friends. After all I didn’t even have time to see the ones I already had. That, and I am quite skeptical by nature. “Just why is it that you want to be my friend? Hmmmm?!” Insert ‘stink eye’ here. Yet by taking a chance and opening to new friendships my life has changed dramatically for the better. I have had so many experiences I would have never had if I had not met my Adventure Sister Stacy.

Several years ago, Stacy and I met at a night class called “Stepping into the Metaphysical” which is kind of ironic thinking about that now. Today I see this ‘chance’ meeting as divine intervention bringing soul sisters together. I had enjoyed Stacy’s contributions to the class, and she seemed nice enough. So, when she asked for my card, I gave it to her so that we could ‘trade’ Reiki sessions. The next week we got together at the shop where I practiced massage therapy. We didn’t speak many words, we got straight to ‘work’ exchanging energy healing, balancing chakras, you know, the usual.

As we traded, it became obvious to us that our ‘souls’ most definitely knew each other. Our intuition sent us both separate images of us as sisters in many lifetimes together. When the sessions were over we talked about the unexpected connection we felt and agreed to meet again. As we locked up the shop to go home that night Stacy said, “I love you!” as she walked to her car. She tells me she doesn’t remember that. I do remember because it threw me for a loop. She intuitively knew something neither of us were ready to admit yet.  Kind of an intense first ‘friend date’ don’t you think?!

My point is I took a chance and let Stacy into my life, skeptical as I was. I see that the Universe knew what she was doing all along. My friendship with Stacy has opened a whole new doorway of possibilities for me to experience life in a way that was different than the experiences I was exposed to with other friends. Had I not had a new friend to venture out into nature with, to explore our shared interest in the metaphysical, who loved new classes and experiences in energy healing, writer’s workshops and much more, I would not be pursuing my dreams in the same way I am today.

I believe that as we grow up, we branch out in different directions. Some friends end up on a different branch on the other side of the tree with new friends of their own. Even so, we are still on the same tree and the roots need to be watered or branches fall off and that’s ok too. I find that it is easier to grow, with someone who is going the same direction I am.

There is no wrong direction, we all have our own paths to navigate; It’s nice to make new friends traveling on the same route. It’s also a good idea to keep other friends that have branched out in different directions. You never know where life leads you down the road. These friends will have experiences to share when you finally come back together. Brownies taught me to water the roots, then bloom together in the seasons you share.