Friends – are they important?

In a word – yes.

At school, friends are the most important thing. I remember the sharing of secrets, the phone calls that went on for hours (even though you had been with them all day), the swapping of packed lunches on the school field and the weekend sleepovers.

As you get older, friendships often get put on the back burner in favour of relationships – in other words, it’s suddenly all about love! New partners become the focus of your attention, and sometimes friends get forgotten. We’ve all done it, haven’t we? Chosen to go out with a boyfriend or girlfriend instead of the person we grew up with. Chosen to share secrets with them instead.

For most of us this is a short lived period, and as relationships settle down, the true friendships start to blossom again. It’s how we discover our real friends – the ones who have stuck by us throughout, the ones who have waited for us. 

As you start to think about marriage, houses and starting a family, many people think that they are too old to make new friends – but I actually think the opposite is true. One of my very best friends is someone who I met just 2 years ago. We bonded over our bumps and newborn babies in the school playground. We started to meet up for play dates with the children. It grew into evening BBQ’s and days out with our husbands, and our children have grown up together. In fact, this lovely lady is the person who was with me when I was in labour with Eliza. She drove me to the hospital, she sat with me as contractions wracked my body, she offered support and childcare in the days after and has always, always been there when I have had nowhere else to turn. 

She has definitely shaped my life in the last 2 years. She has seen through the front and bonded with the real me. She has cried with me, laughed with me and shared in the joy of watching our children grow. I wouldn’t hesitate to share anything with this lovely lady, and I like to think the same is true for her. She has healed me in so many ways – by looking beyond the postnatal depression and the guilt and seeing the real me. I know that no matter what happens in the future she will be there – not judging, not trying to change me but just being a friend. And for that I am grateful. 

Friends are so important.

friends Photo Credit: trancetrotter via Compfight cc

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8 Comments

  1. July 16, 2015 / 4:00 pm

    Oh dear this made my heart melt and brought tears to my eyes X
    Katie gray recently posted…Baby ShowersMy Profile

  2. July 22, 2015 / 8:15 am

    lovely post – nothing better than great friends #MMWBH

  3. July 22, 2015 / 12:12 pm

    I couldn’t iamgine life without freinds. I think they’ve vital, although I do find family comes first and this has an impact on yourability to make and sustain friendships (especially for us SAHDs who don’t get the same opportunities to mingle at parental gatherings which are often mum focused).
    John Adams recently posted…Banishing your beer belly for goodMy Profile

  4. July 22, 2015 / 8:43 pm

    This post made me both smile and feel sad. I had a 4 year friendship end reciently (and she still wont tell me why) and i feel so lost without that anchor in my life. That special person that you can just laugh with and share random silly jokes. That you can meet up for coffee and turn to when you just need an ear or a shoulder to cry on.

    Its hard, especially when she was my only real friend (sad i know but its hard to find that BFF you just click with – for me anyway).

    I hope your never to old to make friends lol
    Sarah-Jane K recently posted…#31Days Challenge – Day 22My Profile

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