When I was a girl scout for five seconds, I learned a song. It went something like this, "Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold..." The gist? Don't forsake old friends for the new ones. But somehow, though I sang the song happily, and believed its sweet simple message—I think I forgot the words along the way. Over the years, it became easier to just move full steam ahead.
And if I lost touch with friends in the process? Surely, that is just part of life...
Or is it?
I don't think I'm the only one with this problem. This walking away and not looking back problem. This "I see what they're up to on Facebook, and surely that's enough" problem. This, "if they are really my friend, they won't care if we don't talk for three or six or thirty-six months" problem.
Over the past few weeks, I've had the privilege of reconnecting with a few close friends that I almost let slip away. And feeling the tears well up in my eyes, I realized how deeply and fully missed they were.
And my excuses no longer held water.
[EXCUSE NUMBER ONE.] We don't live near each other.
This has always been my favorite excuse. After all, I was an Army Brat. I moved every two years, leaving behind friends, zip codes and area codes. No need to keep up with everyone. How could I possibly keep up with everyone? It would have been impossible to keep up with everyone. Plus—I thought—the ones that are true friends will be the kind I can just pick up with where I left off. The problem was... I rarely picked up where I left off.
[EXCUSE NUMBER TWO] Our lives are just so different.
This excuse usually follows the first. Not only do we live in different places—but our lives, emotionally, physically, spiritually.... are in different places. She's a mother, I'm not. I'm a teacher, she's not. At the heart of this excuse is a bout of pride and/or insecurity. There's no way she could ever understand what I'm going through. Or. There's no way I could ever understand what she's going through.
But if you call those things what they are: lies — they no longer have power. Because the truth is... none of us are in the same place. If being in the same metaphysical "place" was a requirement for friendship—none of us would have friends, and all of us would stay stuck where we are.
[EXCUSE NUMBER THREE] I just don't have time to be friends with everyone.
This excuse is the most dangerous–because the lie is wrapped in kernel of truth. Of course, it is impossible to be friends with everyone you ever meet for the rest of your life—and if I tried to be best friends with everyone, surely I would be a best friend to no one. However, when I look at how I spend my time, I know deep in my heart that I have more time that could be spent on others. When I look at my schedule, I'm often ashamed at how much time I'm always spending on myself.
[EXCUSE NUMBER FOUR] It's too late.
Let's face it. Life gets in the way. Half of our time is spent working, and the other half is spent just trying to do the things we need to do to get by. Filling the car with gas. Picking up groceries. Taking care of your marriage, or your roommate, or the laundry. Life is demanding, and before you know it... six months, a year... three years have gone by since you last spoke with your friend. And we feed our guilt with this, the chief of lies: it's too late to change.
But it's not too late.
I don't think that writing a blog post about being a better friend is going to make me a better friend. But facing the facts, and calling excuses for what they are might just be the first step to change.
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“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival." - C. S. Lewis
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