Working at It

       As we get older, it seems more and more difficult to make friends.
As children, it seemed we were automatically friends with the kids who lived nearby. At school and college, we became friends with classmates and roommates.
       As adults, we may become friends with some of our co-workers…but often those friendships fail to extend much beyond lunch breaks and gossip sessions. If we have kids, we may chat with other parents at play dates or school fundraisers. And for someone who isn’t working outside the home and has no children, even those friendships are missed.
       It seems we are all so busy with our own lives these days – working, cleaning, running errands, looking after kids and homes and pets and partners…and simply trying to catch up on sleep.
       And let’s face it, friendships take work and they take time. As William Blake wrote in a poem that otherwise left me bewildered: “The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship”.
       So for this month, as a bird builds a nest and a spider builds a web, I am going to work on building friendships – not only new ones, but also existing ones and old ones I have left unattended or unrepaired. 
       It seems like a good plan not only for the holiday season, but also as preparation for a new year...