“Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver and the other’s gold.”
Celebrating Friendship:: National New Friends Day
If you dig deep enough, you probably remember the song from childhood. And you may even be fortunate enough to have some friends from around the same time period – pure gold friendships that have stood the test of time. Those best friends who have become family. Old friends are special.
But new friends are valuable, too! National New Friends Day on October 19, is all about creating space for new connections and celebrating the possibility of friendship all around you. As moms, we’re always on the go, and so we have so many chances to meet someone new.
We watch our kids grow and move from one stage to another, and each season brings new joys and challenges. These constant changes mean we have opportunities to meet others, build connections, and share the ups and downs of parenthood all around us – at soccer practice, at curriculum night, or while our kids pull every book in the library off the shelves (just mine?).
As my kids have moved from preschool to elementary, these past couple of years have brought into my life a few new friends who are quickly becoming some of my closest. I’ve found comfort, support, and a whole lot of fun connecting with moms who are in a similar stage of life. The camaraderie built around shared stories of parking lot meltdowns and sweet little kindergarteners oversharing family life in class has been validating and entertaining.
Even as a writer, I’m having a hard time putting into words the soul-nourishing goodness that comes from making new friends.
To the mom, I met in the preschool parking lot,
To the mom who sat next to me at my daughter’s gymnastics class,
To the woman who invited me to join her tennis team,
And to every mom brave enough to join a new mom’s group,
Thank you for your friendship!
In honor of National New Friends Day, I’d like to challenge you to strike up a conversation with someone new today. Whether it’s the person in front of you in the checkout line at the grocery store or the mom also dropping off a forgotten lunch at the elementary school, we all thrive on connection.
