While sorting through some old birthday and special occasion cards I had held onto forever, I came across a little note from my friend Leslie. She worked with me at my first job, back in college when I was a teller at a Credit Union in Victoria. Leslie and I really had fun at work, we clicked and had a good friendship in those days. After college, when I had my son, she moved away and I haven’t seen her since. She isn’t on social media so we haven’t kept in contact. I had this feeling of grief, of missing her and our friendship.

There are so many stages in our lives where we are in such close contact with people, we become close to certain ones. Then life situations change, jobs change and we move on. I know I am an introvert and I know I don’t like a lot of social interaction but sometimes I miss all my past friends and have this urge to see them in a very out-of- character-for-me, big get-together (or maybe that urge is the affects of Covid isolation times talking).

For me, the friends were in groupings from elementary school, high school, friends and fellow exchange students from my year in Holland, college days, then friends from each job. Then there are friends you meet because of having kids and doing kids’ activities. At the time of each stage, you don’t really think too far into the future and that you may not be as close to these friends as you are when you are living that time or stage of your life. And now here I sit looking back missing these gems of people.

I have had the privilege of knowing so many wonderful people. Don’t get me wrong, I am in touch with a lot of these friends from what feels like past lives, but life goes on. People that I saw every day for years, I now rely on the Facebook posts or Instagram pictures to keep up to date.

So although it does make me sad to miss them, to miss what we had, to not know what’s going on in their life every day, I can count myself lucky I have had such friends.

Sending Love,

Devon