new friends, now long-distance
We made some lovely new friends a few months ago. We first met them over the summer at the food pantry, but it wasn't until we connected with them through another friend that we really started to talk and see each other as more than just acquaintances. But once we did we found them delightful. I like kids, and they have lots! Including a first-grade boy and a girl just a few days younger than Zion (and of similar size!).
fast friends
Only... now they're moving away.
We want to keep in touch, of course: they're headed west, out to the mountainous region between Greenfield and North Adams, which seems like a lovely place to visit! And only two hours away; that's not to bad for a social call, right? And we rejoice with them in their new house, which is finally someplace big enough for them to spread out and be comfortable. But we're going to miss them! Harvey especially—he got a little teary when I first told him his new friend was going to be moving away.
One problem with living in the comfortable suburbs is that it's hard to meet other people like us. Which is to say, poor hippies. So when we find some it feels like we're getting somewhere in terms of building a comfortable community—community that's hard enough with friends in Lowell and West Roxbury, never mind a hundred miles down Route 2.
I don't have a general theory of making friends. When we moved to Bedford we didn't have any, and it took us a couple years to get it together to make our first real friendships. I don't know what we did all that time. I still don't feel like I'm very good at making friends, but—even though I think I remain an introvert—more and more I value spending time with people and finding ways to connect with them. For some reason.
There's no conclusion to this post; I just wanted to record the fact of our friendship and it's separation. We'll have some nice pictures when we manage to get out there for our first visit.