I am grateful tonight for the persistence of friends who insist on keeping in touch even when I would lose track. My friend Roland never ceases to check in with me to catch up on what I’ve been up to and fill me in on his doings. I first met him through work and we became fast friends. He is one of those people it is nearly impossible not to like right off the bat; a warm, engaging personality, a beautiful smile, and fun, effervescent energy. When I got laid off from work, he was one of the first people to be in touch with me, inviting me to lunch and listening sympathetically as I talked about the ills that had befallen me. During the “series of unfortunate events” in my life in 2011, he was a constant source of friendship and support. And even if we didn’t see each other more than once or twice per month we made those times count. We mostly met for lunch and not once in any of the times we met did he allow me to pay for my own lunch. I still owe him many lunches and I look forward to someday making at least a few of them up to him.
Right before I moved across the country to Maryland, Roland was one of the last people I saw (the very last was my friend Mary and her family who hosted a small gathering for dinner at her house the night before I drove out of California.) I spoke to him once on the phone since I’ve lived here and he promised that we’d catch up around the holidays. Today he made good on that promise as we visited via Skype video chat. In our nearly 90-minute conversation we were able to catch up on a lot of news and gossip. It was almost as good as sitting across the table from him at lunch, except I missed getting the warm hug and kiss with which he always greets me. Perhaps sometime in 2013 I’ll be able to collect my hug.
I am grateful for the friendships I’ve enjoyed over the years. One of the challenges of moving is in all the friends you leave behind. I’ve lost touch with a number of folks that I need to try to reconnect with. I deeply appreciate Roland’s persistence in checking in with me or else in the midst of all my busyness of settling into my new life 2800+ miles way from him I might fall out of touch. There are a few other people out there in California with whom I need to make contact shortly. It’s not a matter of forgetting them, it’s more a matter of carving out the time (and accounting for the time zone difference) to keep in touch. And with the technology today that allows face-to-face conversation, it’s almost as good as being there. Before we ended our conversation today Roland and I set up a regularly scheduled Skype call so we can keep in touch. It’ll be just like our regular lunch date only for him it will be breakfast time and for me lunch time.
I can hear the old song I learned in elementary school running through my head, “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.” I am looking forward to the new friendships I’ll make out here, and I’ll continue to treasure the golden friendships that have persisted over time.
