How do we make friends as grown-ups?

Charlie had Little League pictures taken Saturday morning. While waiting to get pictures taken, he walks up to a little girl that he just met, talked to her for about 2 minutes, gave her a big hug, and said “you’re my best friend”. While this is adorable to watch and retell, it makes you wonder when we lose that. When did it become difficult to make friends?

When we’re young children, we can walk up to anyone and instantly connect and become friends. In school you start to form cliques and that clique is your lifeline for friends. In college, you have roommates, clubs, and classes to connect with friends. Once you’re in adulthood, how do you make friends?

 

My closest friends are still the same ones I’ve had since about middle school. I find it ridiculously hard to find and make new friends (not that there’s anything wrong with the few I have). I guess as an adult I’ve become socially awkward. When I was younger, I played sports and always had friends in school and our neighborhood. Now that I’m married with children of my own, it’s a whole new ballgame. I’m just now starting to get an idea of where to look for new friends, but actually becoming friends and developing real relationships will be a whole new challenge.

Talking to other moms at Little League is feeling a bit more natural and I’ve joined a MOMS group. I’m looking forward to socializing with other moms out in the real world and not just online. I tend to feel like the last person to the party, like everyone has enough friends already and why would they want to socialize with me? I know. It’s pretty pathetic. I’m working on it. Trying to talk to other moms and make friends shouldn’t be too hard: we all have something in common.

Mission: Open up and make some new connections!

When was the last time you made a real friend? Where did you find each other?