The upcoming posts that we're busily creating here have a 'friends and enemies' theme. It wasn't intentional - it's just sheer coincidence that that's the way it's worked out! A lot of the inspiration has come from recent incidents that have occurred in my own life and as usual I like to use my experiences - both good and bad - to help others, as well as share any events or activities that I think might be of benefit to our followers. And one that might be of interest will be the Survivor Empowerment Summit for survivors of narcissistic abuse, as well as those who may currently be experiencing narcissistic abuse, and concerned family and friends who wish to know what they can do to help their loved ones. The telesummit takes place on June 1st - World Narcissistic Abuse Awareness Day. If you haven't registered for your spot, you can do so here. https://wnaad.com/
OK now that we've got the 'enemies' bit out of the way, let's look at our upcoming friendship-themed posts.
RECONNECTING WITH AN OLD FRIEND
Within the last week I got back in touch with two old friends I haven't spoken to in over a decade. I usually pride myself on my ability to stay in touch with people. Even if I don't call them every day or every week, as long as I get those birthday and holiday greetings out there, well - that's something! But despite my best efforts, on this road called life where we meet so many wonderful people along the way, they don't all stay on the same journey , often taking a different path. And sometimes the inevitable happens and you lose touch completely. Even in this day and age where almost everyone has an online presence, it's still not always easy to track people down.
Almost by chance I managed to locate two old friends who I'd been wanting to get back in touch with forever. One was a young lady I worked with many years ago, while the other was someone my husband and I knew during the early days of our marriage. With my old work friend, the reception I got was disappointingly rather lukewarm. She wasn't annoyed or irritated that I had messaged her. But it was quite clear that she didn't want to resume our friendship. Her reaction almost put me off contacting the other friend. After all there's only so much rejection a girl can handle, right! But as it happened, my friend was delighted to hear from me and very happy to be back in touch with my husband and me again.
Experience has taught me that when it comes to reconnecting with old friends, you never quite know what you're going to get. With some old friends, it's been a pleasure getting back in touch and we've managed to pick up right where we left off. With others they're happy to hear from you but they've moved on with their lives. Then there are some who I wish I'd never, ever, EVER bothered reconnecting with because the situation is like something out of a really bad Lifetime movie when I was actually hoping for a Hallmark!
So the question is, is it really worth reconnecting with old friends when so much time has gone by? Or is it best to leave some things in the past and move on? Read our upcoming post to find out the answer!
MAKING FRIENDS AS AN EXPAT
It's can be tough making friends as a kid. And for some of us, it doesn't always get easier when you become an adult either. But throw being an expat in the mix, and it just got a whole lot crazier! While some people have moved to pastures new and found a whole new tribe waiting for them, for others it can take a lot more time and effort. So much so that you actually end up wondering if there's something wrong with you. There isn't. Well there might be but we'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say there isn't!
There's many reasons why it might be harder to make friends in your adopted country: homesickness; fear of rejection; not being familiar with the culture or language; feeling self-conscious; focusing more on work and less on your social life, or just finding it harder to feel included in already long established social circles. You may find yourself wondering if you'll ever find your crowd.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU'RE NOT KEEN ON YOUR FRIEND'S PARTNER
So your friend is totally in love with their partner - but you think they could do better. This is a situation that people the world over have encountered. We all know the saying you can choose your friends but you can't quite pick your own family. Well the same can be said for your friend's partners as well. You want your friend to be happy - even if you're not so happy with the person they're happy with!
But it's your friend's life and your friend's happiness and you want to be supportive. There are some instances where you're right to be concerned - for example when you feel that there might be abuse or some other unhealthy situation occurring. In such cases you'll treat the matter with sensitivity, seeking professional support and guidance as to how to help your friend, as well as letting them know that you're there for them. But when it's just a case of people not bonding or characters clashing, you need to work out the best way to navigate this conundrum as well as working out the best way to maintain your friendship - and your composure! It can be done!
Check out our upcoming posts to discover all the answers to these questions and more!
Images from Wix
Word cloud by Angel Noire
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