This past Saturday my husband, daughter and I spent a lovely day on a nearby lake with some great friends. I had not seen most of these people in several months.
(View from the boat)
In college, making friends is a breeze. Maintaining friendships is easy, too, because usually you are living with or in close proximity to friends. After college, the demands of careers, marriages, and children can make opportunities to build new friendships hard to come by. Nourishing old friendships is difficult because we are all. so. busy.
(There is nothing better than a boat day with friends.)
Sometimes my best friend, who now lives a six-hour drive away, and I go months without seeing each other. That can be a real downer, but it also has required us to make the very most of the days we do get to see each other. This day at the lake was no exception.
Really we are quite lucky. Many people I know live several states away from their best friends. My husband sees his best friend once or twice a year and I love seeing how happy they are to see each other. They pick up right where they left off EVERY TIME.
I think the best advice is to never be too busy to at least respond to your friend’s emails or send a quick text now and then when something reminds you of that person. Make a point to get together now and then, even if it means a long car ride or splurging on a plane ticket. Friendships that can survive the chaos of adulthood deserve maintaining.
How do you maintain friendships amidst all the responsibilities of adulthood?
A HOUSE WITH CHARACTER 