Friends

Do you have a lot of friends? Do they live near you?

I've been thinking a lot about friends, lately. Mostly about the fact that I would like to have more who live nearby.

I am someone who has always had a pretty good group of friends -- everywhere I have lived. Sure, it might have taken a while to settle in and find my group, but within a year or so of living somewhere, I really felt like I had found some 'good peeps.' Up in Massachussetts, I often felt that I had too many (is that possible?), and socially I was stretched thin. Schoolmates, coworkers, neighbors, women met in playgroups for our kids... I always had someone to do things with, or to just chat with on the phone when I needed an ear.

So, we have lived here for 18 months. And, since we grew up here, the area did come with some built in friends -- a few friends from high school who still live in the area. Most of my college friends live somewhere in the NYC metro area, so from time to time, we get together. But, I really haven't made a single new, good friend since we've been here. You know, that someone who you can just call up on a Saturday morning, and be meeting for lunch two hours later.

I guess part of it is the stage of life that I am currently in. With the exception of my 'moms group' friends, almost all of my Boston friends were those I got to know before any of us had kids. So, we had time to cement our friendship before the demands of family took over.

It isn't that there is a shortage of possibilities here, just circumstance seems to always get in the way.

At work, there are two people who I like, and we have a lot to talk about (we all have young kids, have some similar interests), but I don't really see the relationship progressing outside of chatting at work, since the moment 5pm rolls around, we're all rushing home to see said kids.

My neighborhood has several really nice young moms in it, and I have really liked talking with them at the few neighborhood functions (block party, Easter egg hunt) we've had. But, most of them are stay at home moms, so they're looking for social opportunities during the week. Weekends for them are generally their time to ditch the kids with dad and do something for themselves.

A couple of the moms at Sadie's preschool are really friendly, but again...they either work, and therefore have limited time or energy for things that take them away from their kids, or they stay at home and are available during the day when I am at work.

Anyway, I keep plugging away, hoping that in time, I'll find my group, or at least, one or two women I can really click with. I just wish it wasn't taking so long!