Keep in better touch with my true friends

One of the main factors that inhibits my keeping in regular touch with my long-standing friends is the presence in their lives of their partners.

Whenever one of my friends gets into a reasonably serious relationship, I think – consciously or subconsciously – that our friendship has become a relatively low priority. I am happy for my friends that they’re happy, I usually like their choice of partners, I still want to see them… But their lives get busier (I always assume) and I always find myself thinking that I don’t dare to make demands on their time.

C and I worked together for a year and a half in 1997-1998 and became good friends then. When we were no longer working together, we no longer saw each other regularly, and the friendship gradually slid away.

For the last two years I’ve been living in “her” city and we’ve seen each other more often. Last week we bumped into each other while doing some Xmas shopping, and she invited me to her forthcoming party – which is tomorrow night. Hooray!

I’ve only known her for a year and a quarter but she’s certainly one of my true friends: sincere, generous, empathetic and encouraging. We hadn’t been able to see each other since she moved house a month ago, but this evening we met up and I saw her new house. Hooray!