Make New Friends, but Keep the Old...

I had the opportunity to have lunch with one of my very good friends yesterday. Dee and I have known each other for about 10 years. We met when I started attending a Singles Sunday School class at Cool Spring Baptist church in Mechanicsville, near my parents house. I started going to that church in the late 1990s when I had moved back in with my parents. At the time, I was very lonely and had just gotten out of an emotionally and mentally abusive relationship. The Singles class was just what I needed at the time and God really brought awesome people into my life when I needed them the most.

Dee and I became instant friends. I was very close with her and her family, who were like my 2nd family in Richmond. Her parents and siblings are such generous, thoughful and giving people. I miss seeing them!!

She and I are definitely the party-people in our families. We love to go out to clubs, dance, meet new people, laugh and just have a great time. Back before either of us were married (and before she had her son, who is now 3 1/2), we would, along with our friend Holly, go to a sports bar on Fridays after work, go out dancing at the local dance club, or even just sit on the front porch of her house and laugh. Looking back, I can honestly say those were some of the most fun times of my life!! I was honored when Dee and Holly both agreed to be in my wedding.

These days, the three of us live in separate cities (Dee is in Northern VA, Holly is in Richmond and of course, I am in C'ville). I can't even remember the last time we were all together. And, we are all married and have our own things going on, so it's hard to find time to get together.

Yesterday, Dee and I were able to meet up for lunch in Richmond. It was awesome to see her and we spent over 4 hours gabbing, pretty much non-stop, about our husbands, our jobs, our families....basically everything that is going on in our lives! We had lots of things to catch up on and it was great to be able to have that person to talk to and confide in, just like old times.

Even though I am truly glad that Keith and I moved to Charlottesville and I have formed some really great friendships with people here, I am still nostalgic for old friends. There are so many people that we "left behind" in Richmond and there is just not enough time in the day (or the month sometimes!) to keep in touch with everyone the way that I want to. I know that I am bad with keeping in touch with people, and time flies by so fast, that often months go by before I realize that I haven't talked to some people.

My hope is that all of the people that have come and gone in my life realize how much they have meant to me. And, even though we may not talk as often as we would like, I still cherish their friendship and hope that when we do see each other again, we can pick up right where we left off.