It takes a little effort, but you can always find a fun way to stay connected with old friends.
It’s week one of our October 12 Months of Wellness theme, “Infuse Your Life With Fun.” This week we’re finding ways to reconnect or stay connected with friends.
Ellen Niemer, Editor and Creative Services Liaison: “For many of us, technology has made it much easier to keep in touch with old friends who live far away. One of my very best friends, Sue, has never actually lived in the same place as me. Introduced to each other by my Aunt Eileen when I was in grade 3, we used to write letters to each other back and forth from Toronto to Port Hope, Ontario (I’ve saved many of them).
“I now live in BC and Sue still lives in Ontario, but with the advent of computers, we email each other several times a week. Even after more than 40 years, we still share our ups and downs, and chuckle about the crazy things we did when we were kids.”
Colleen Grant, Editor: “My friends and I are all in different places and stages in life—some in school, others working, and a few travelling—so we lose touch sometimes. To give us an excuse to catch up, we try to plan a weird or new-to-us activity at least once a month. These have included going to “in the park after dark” outdoor movies at Stanley Park (The Breakfast Club was my favourite), attending a by-donation yoga class, falling asleep soaking up some culture at the opera Aida, and having a wine-and-board-games night.”
Leah Payne, Editor: “The other day, my best friend from childhood actually reconnected with me, and it was such a great experience! While she now lives across the country and we can’t exactly get together for a coffee date, we can catch up through email and social media.
“It turns out she had been going through keepsakes, and found a rare candid photo of my great-grandmother greeting me with flowers and a big smile after my year-end dance performance (my friend and I did ballet lessons together). My great-grandmother passed away quite a few years ago, and she was wondering if I’d like the photo of the two of us. What a wonderful surprise! Not only did I reconnect with my childhood friend, but I also reconnected with a memory of how proud and loving my great-grandmother was.”
Amanda Pentland, Graphic Designer: “As our lives seem to only get busier and busier, it appears that quality time is more important than quantity of time. It’s been a few months since I last saw one of my close friends. Luckily for us, our significant others both get along very well which makes it much easier to plan lengthy quality visits. In only a few weeks we’ll re-unite for a weekend of quality friendship, which almost always includes outdoor activities, great food, spectacular wine, and most of all the warmth of reconnecting with important and valued people in our lives.”
Have you reconnected (or stayed connected) with an old friend this week? Share your story with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter using the hashtag #2013alive. (And if you haven’t already, be sure to download our October goal sheet.)
