You’ve Got a Friend in Me

Listening to the classic Toy Story theme song put a lot into perspective for me. Friends, both new and old, are the common thread in a range of recent events that include a 48-hour trip to D.C. and more dinner parties than I could count.

“You've got a friend in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles
From your nice warm bed
Just remember what your old pal said
Boy, you've got a friend in me…”

Isn’t this a great song? I was cuddling with Brayden while watching Toy Story and the lyrics to this song really resonated with me. Friends have been a major reoccurring theme the past few weeks for two reasons: 1. I’m dating a wonderful guy, and we’ve been meeting each other’s friends 2. I took a business trip to Washington, D.C. where I met with up a couple very special old friends.

I’ll start with the business trip…

I was in Washington for literally 48 hours and not a second went to waste. Between obligations to the conference I was attending, I was able to enjoy reunions with amazing friends I’ve known since my teens.

The first was Chris, a college buddy from my glory days at the University of New Hampshire. He was a friend—and only ever a friend—in the truest sense of the word. He looked after me like a sister and even dutifully installed shelves in my sorority room. There isn’t enough I could say about Chris.

Immediately after arriving in the city, I met with him and his beautiful wife, Gayle (an Alpha Phi from my chapter no less!), who is expecting their first child very soon. I hadn’t seen Chris in more than 12 years but it was like a day hadn’t gone by. We had so much fun reminiscing about our years at UNH.

On my second day, I met up with a close friend and roommate from my Walt Disney World College Program days, Krissy. She sold popcorn in Magic Kingdom, and I was in retail at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Typical glamorous internship stuff. A friend of 15 years, Krissy and her husband were my hosts during my last D.C. trip, recounted in the post East Coast vs. West Coast.

Krissy’s a new mom so our two hours together were jam-packed with catching up on life and babies. Krissy is the kind of friend who you may not see often, but when you do, it’s like you never missed a beat. I am so happy were able to get together, and I’m very grateful for our long-standing friendship.

OK, now I’ll circle back to item #1 from the list above, my amazing boyfriend. The past several weeks have been filled with introductions on both sides, as we’ve met (and continue to meet) the people important to each other.

A really great element to all this is that many of his friends have kids Brayden’s age, and little b, with his bright spirit and easy sociability, fits right into the mix. Brayden’s comfort is paramount to me, and I take it as a good sign he seems just as happy as I am about our expanding universe of friends.

In reading this week’s post, I’m sure you couldn’t help but remember a friend you haven’t seen in a while or recall a favorite memory from adventures you found yourself in together. Or maybe you flashed back when you met your significant other’s social circles, and you came to like him/her even more for the great company they keep. Either way, take a moment to act on how you feel. Pick up the phone. Send an email. Drop a note in the mail. Plan a BBQ now that the weather is improving. Do something to maintain those ties.

Why?

Well, I think the the last verse of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” says it best:

“It's me and you
And as the years go by
Boys, our friendship will never die
You're gonna see
It's our destiny
You've got a friend in me..”