A Year in the Life of Friends

64 Arts, Everyday Adventures

Yes, another RENT reference… indulge me?

This time last year we were playing around with tiny little tiles and various bits of sticky stuff (aka Mosaics) and I was angsting a bit over a friendship that had flat-lined over the last decade due to influences outside the friendship.

What a Difference a Year Makes!

After all that time, all that emotion, I bumped into my old friend in close quarters at an event in October. With just three words “Can we talk?” we picked right back up as if we’d never been apart. Her situation (and, therefore, the impediment to our friendship) had changed only she was afraid I was angry and wouldn’t want to reconnect–and to think I almost skipped that event!

We’ve gotten together a few times since then and this year, instead of feeling sad that I couldn’t wish her a happy birthday without breaking the no-contact request, I was sitting next to her as we celebrated her birthday at the Melting Pot, Saturday night.

And, this year, there was some art involved but so different than last year’s:

Friends Shadowbox
Friends Shadowbox, mixed media, 2011

Even though we weren’t talking and didn’t see each other for more than 10 years, we’ve had a lot of parallel experiences that just floor me: we’ve both been attending comics conventions, we both took belly dance lessons for a couple of years (different teachers and studios) and, of course, that pesky divorce thing.

And yes, I showed her last year’s art therapy. Which made me want to make something this year, for her, that had a whole different feel to it.

She has a thing for stars and I love creating dimensional art for shadowboxes–it’s so much more fun that a collage–and this one includes folded stars, star sequins, embroidered ribbon and scherenschnitte elements.

I’m happy to report it was received as intended and I’m looking forward to continuing where we left off.

Best friends really are forever.

For the Comments:

  • Have you ever fallen back in touch with an old friend?
  • How did it go? Had you grown apart or were the things that made you friends still there?
  • Is there someone you’ve been meaning to follow-up with and just haven’t? Why not?

4 thoughts on “A Year in the Life of Friends

  1. I have tired reconnecting with old friends before but have been met with disappointment. Well, not disappointment. More of a feeling that I had grown up differently. I cherish the friendships I have now. I made friends as an adult and have had the same for 17 years. An aside that just happened today that this reminds me of: My son earlier today said, “Mommy, we are best friends forever.” Oh. Loved that.

    1. I’ve run into the grown-apart thing, too, but I’ve also been surprised at the old acquaintances who suddenly became fast friends 10 years later. No matter when they form, cherishing them is always a good thing 🙂

    1. Some friends are meant to serve a certain time-frame, I’ve learned, and others can go on for a lifetime. I used to get disappointed when I tried to reconnect with old friends who are just at different stages in life than I am but now I’m much more zen about it 🙂

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