My Last New Friends

The first last new friend I met I’ll call Christine. We met when she came to take my job so I take on other responsibilities.   

I’ll be the first to say I did not like her from the start. (No worries – she knows.) She was resourceful in getting the job. I just saw it as pushy and snobby.

My first impressions are almost always wrong.

 

Once I learned more about Christine, I understood her motivation better. Now I know that pushy person is strong and gets what she wants. She’s not afraid to work for it. Or make it work for her.

The first week I was thrilled to have her there. The second week I started seeing just how much she and I are alike. It’s been just over six months now.

It’s scary how much we are alike. What we’ve survived. Our strength. Our resourcefulness. Our hair color. 

Because we breathe the same office space 30+ hours a week, we’ve become close quickly. We laugh together, throw things at each other, share stories. Heck, we even cry together sometimes.

I give the poor girl a heck of a time, but am honored to call Christine a friend. I know I can call her and she’ll be there for me. Even if I am mean to her. And I will be there for her.

 

The other last person I met is almost 2 years ago – Rose. We met at a neighbor’s party. Our daughters would be at the same school in the same grade. The girls - both very reserved hit it off immediately - which was odd for both. They got to know each other under the night sky on the hammock while the adults all yapped inside.

Rose and I seemed to have little in common except our daughters, where we live, and our mutual friends. She traveled and negotiated high dollar contracts. I kind of run a small office. We swapped phone numbers for the girls’ sakes.

Nature took its course and as Grace and Julia spent more time together, so did Rose and I.

I enjoyed being in Rose’s company. She’s intelligent and smart, quick witted and serious. She thinks deep and has class. And she’s strong. I liked that about her.

More and more I saw we do have quite a bit in common.

This year hasn’t been easy on either of us. We have teen daughters! We helped each other through some icky parts. I at least was comforted knowing Rose was just at the other end of the phone.

I count both these ladies as two of my blessings. Thank you both for gracing my life.