New old friends

Making new friends in your 30s and 40s is not as easy as it once was.

Some folks find their “people” with other parents from their kids’ schools, or through hobbies like yoga and pickleball. I’ve found that most of my good friendships have started at work. Usually it’s with colleagues. But every once in a while, there’s also a client who I just click with, and the rest seems like the universe shouting “Hey you two! Go be friends!”

I was lucky enough to work with one such awesome woman last year, as my team and I helped her launch a start-up platform that connects professionals with students to provide them with mentorship—and sponsorship—as they pursue their dreams.

We’ve kept in touch since our official work together ended, having Zoom coffee chats every couple of weeks, asking each other for professional advice, and emailing long meandering notes back-and-forth about the exhaustion of our kids’ various afterschool activities.

After a year and a half of virtual friendship, we finally got to meet in person yesterday when she came to Atlanta for a conference. When I walked into the restaurant and found her at the table, it was like we’d known each other forever. Our conversation over dinner was easy and fun—seamlessly moving back and forth between work talk and family talk, while devouring some insanely delicious whipped ricotta with honey. She spent the night at my house, like an old friend would. She chatted with my kids this morning, we talked more over breakfast at my kitchen table, and when I dropped her off at the train station to head to the conference, it felt more like an “I’ll talk to you in a few days” than a “we’ll schedule another Zoom soon” kind of goodbye.

I hope that’s what it is, anyway. There’s something about making new old friends that just brings so much joy.

If you’re reading this, thanks for being that joy :)