On Friendship, Holiday Surprises, and Aging Gracefully (or at least with WiFi)
Posting my transformation photos this week while collecting mailing addresses for a little holiday surprise turned into something I never saw coming: a nostalgia-drenched, soul-hugging, inbox-flooding journey of reconnection.
What started as “Hey, what’s your address?” became hours of messages, catch-ups, laughing emojis, old photos, and the kind of deep, meaningful conversations that make you want to put your phone down and just breathe it all in.
I’ve had the joy of connecting with friends from every era of my life from elementary school legends, to college co-survivors, to colleagues from each business venture, and everyone else in between. 
As we get older, it’s said that making new friends becomes harder, mostly because we already know the glorious weirdos who get us without explanation. But I’ve been incredibly lucky to make a few amazing new friends this year (shoutout to my cold plunge tribe). It got me thinking: what really makes a friendship stick?
According to the experts, it comes down to:
• Proximity
• Shared interests
• Effort
That tracks. It certainly explains why we all made so many friends in our school years and from our work lives. But this week reminded me of a fourth, the test of time.
You don’t have to talk every day. Or even every year. But when you do reconnect and it feels like not a second has passed? That’s a forever friend. Still, effort matters. Reaching out doesn’t just maintain the connection, it creates opportunities to discover new shared interests you didn’t even know you had.
One big one that I discovered this week? Health.
It turns out that as we age (gracefully, chaotically, and sometimes begrudgingly), a lot of us are on similar journeys, trying to feel better, live longer, and maybe fit back into those jeans from 2009.
The conversations I had this week were some of the deepest, most healing, most funny-as-hell exchanges I’ve ever had. I’m still riding high from them going on day three.
So here’s what I suggest, if you will allow me the indulgence:
Give your old friends a chance to meet the new you. You might be surprised at how beautifully they fit into your life still, or again.
And maybe… make space for a few new ones too. You never know who might become a forever friend. (Especially if they live in your building and can make you laugh in 45° water!)
Here’s to effort. Here’s to laughter. And here’s to friendship, the kind that grows with you!
P.S. Shoutout to the many friends who made me prove I wasn’t a scammer when I texted asking for their mailing address. Paranoid as hell — but honestly, I respect the vigilance. 😂
