Make New Friends, But Keep the Old......

"Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, and the other, Gold."


A friend asked me once, "how do you get ideas to write about on your blog?"

You see, it's not really about me finding ideas to write about. It's more of, whatever is happening in life at the time, an unsolicited theme begins to form and then the post nags me until I write it. Consider this my diary, online. Albeit, public.

The theme of late is old friends, it seems.

There is nothing richer than sitting at the pool and catching up with a best friend that you've known since high school. One of my dearest friends visited the great state of Texas for a week around the 4th of July holiday, and during the course of the week I had the privilege of seeing her ( and daughters) twice, My family had to reschedule their visit until August so I knew it would be a quiet celebration this year, and was looking forward to that downtime. When I realized that my friend would be with me on the 4th, I was beyond thrilled. As we talked and laughed the feeling set in, you hopefully understand this feeling. They get you. You don't have to explain anything you say, you have memories that go so far back you lose track of the time span, and you laugh at the same things that the stories you are revisiting, bring to the surface. It was like no time had passed, and I will treasure the time spent. I do have to mention, that it made me extremely homesick. "you can take the girl out of Missouri......"

Last week as I was leaving to go , well I can't remember where I was going actually, I noticed this really cool looking car parked nearby, and a person standing beside the car, staring at me. "Weird" I thought, but went about my business to prepare to leave. He started walking towards me, and almost at once,I reallized who it was. I may have squealed at this point, it's fuzzy in the remembering. I haven't seen my friend since 2006, he moved back to his home country then and we unfortunately lost touch. I learned that he's now back in the U.S. and living in Houston, and doing quite well. I was so overwhelmed that he was standing in front of me, talking to me that I may have cried, like I mentioned, it's fuzzy.

I was so happy that day. Elated that he couldn't stop smiling, ecstatic that he's doing so well and back where he loves to live, in this free country. I thought to myself, my old friends are popping up all over the place! It took me back to the old rhyme we said (sang) when we were kids. "Make new friends......but keep the old....."

There are the persistent friends. They won't let you get too far away from them without checking in.

There are the lifelong friends, you may not live in the same state, or country even, but when you run into each other again, it's as if no time has passed. They remind you who you are, and have you remembering the good 'ol days.

There are the every day friends, your people. The ones you go with to a random patio in the summer, and share your stories from the current week, because, you saw them the week before. You build memories with these selected few, that will last a lifetime.

There are the easy come, easy go friends. The casual acquaintances that appear and disappear for various reasons, but still worth knowing, still bring value, and hopefully, you are grateful you met them.

And last but absolutely not least, there are the new friends. Isn't it fun to meet new people and get to know them and realize the world is huge but then again, not really?

When it comes down to it, we basically all want most of the same things. The human factor does not select based on anything other than itself. Human. Being human. Living our lives and eating the fabulous food and drinking the delicious drink, helping others and seeing the world, spending precious time with our families, working hard for ourselves or the man (corporations) and laying our heads on the pillow at the end of our days, knowing we did our best. Or at least, we tried to.

So.

"Make new friends. But keep the old. One is silver, and the other, Gold."

It's true.

See you soon friend, you're Gold by the way,
Tiffany

This post is dedicated to Chandra, who knows me so well we don't have to say a word before we burst into fits of laughter that often bring tears. The good kind.

P.S. Breakfast at Tiffany's is in the midst of  the annual summertime worship of all things fresh-picked. Berries and herbs and tomatoes off the vine, There is no greater taste, than fresh, not processed. Go to your local Farmers Market, we have to support the farmers, the "growers" of the important things in life!