Make New Friends, but Keep the Old. . .

After having dinner with a newer friend this week and then spending time with some lifetime friends over the weekend, I keep thinking of the Scouts song, “Make New Friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.”

Meeting new friends is the best.  The older I get, the more I find this to be true. This is because the more I know myself and the less time I have in my day, the more picky I find myself being about who I spend time with. I have a lot of acquaintances and I am less judgmental than I used to be, I simply have changed my definition of what I think a true friend is and what I am looking for in one.  With that said, I have some wonderful friends that I have meet over the recent years that I have a lot in common with and that I love spending time with.  However, there is something about the comfort of an old friend that is unique.

I am blessed enough to have a few friends, that I have known for more than ½ of my life, and even a few more that I have known as long as I can remember.  I had the joy of spending time with 2 of my oldest friends the other day, Nadji and Eli.  We had lunch at Panera and shopped a little after.  Our conversation was not especially deep or meaningful, but what was not said, in the silence between our words, was.  The love that I share with these ladies and the other close friends that round out our long-time group is something remarkable.  It is the at kind of friendship where you do not have to talk everyday or even every month, but still, you know that these people would be there for you no matter what.  We share some great memories and have had our ups and downs, but nothing will break us.  I have had people sound shocked that I am still friends with my High School friends, especially since we are a co-ed group. But for me, I can imagine it any other way.  

As I said above, I love all of my friends and I cannot imagine not having those that I have met as an adult, in fact, I have a feeling some of the newer ones will become life-long friends. However, I know that my “old” friends are who helped to mold who I am and have taught me about true friendship. For that I am grateful!