Make New Friends

When I moved five years ago, it was hard to be "the new girl". It didn't last forever, but it took me a while to get my bearings. I am so glad for my church community, which made everything much more bearable.

One woman I met right off (because she invited my family to dinner our first week here!) dragged me to a moms group that met in the park all summer. I didn't want to go, but I did want to meet new people.

Meet new people indeed. But I don't see any of them anymore. Some of them never connected. Some of them moved away (including the woman who took me in the first place). Some of them, well, I am not sure what happened to them all.

Except one.

She and I have bumped into each other over and over. At the store, in the Library, at our husbands' place of mutual employment. Once, she even looked me up in the phone book and drove over to my house to give me some adorable and much-needed hand-me-downs. We're not merely acquaintances anymore, but we've never really had the opportunity to invest in a friendship.

Recently, she found me on facebook. I was elated. I like her a lot, but I always feel awkward reaching out, because I don't want to be too pushy or overbearing. So when she reached out to me, I was so happy. Then, she did what I was dying to do, and asked if she could come over and hang out one afternoon. Of course!

But then kids got sick. And we had a blizzard that basically shut down the town. So she couldn't come over.

This week, she asked if we could try again. I am ashamed to say I didn't ask first. I really like her, and I am flattered (in a childish, third-grade sort of way) that she keeps seeking me out. So we rescheduled for Saturday afternoon.

I had a Relief Society thing in the morning. In fact, I got home only about 20 minutes before she knocked on the door. But I didn't want to reschedule again. And I definitely didn't want her to think I was stalling just to be polite. So I said "Yes! Please come!"

We had such a wonderful visit this afternoon. I learned a lot about her, she learned a lot about me. We talked and talked and talked like long-lost high school chums. It was great.

She finally had to go because her youngest was going into delayed-nap meltdown. I was sad to see her go. I am thankful for the opportunity to make new friends. It still feels the same way it did when I was an awkward teenager, finding someone interesting, that I like, who likes me, too.

What are you blessed with today?