I think that's what we should all have as we get older @Gloria Mitchell ..the choice to have young strong neighbours who are willing to help out their older neighbours when needed, t in exchange for a pot of stew or 2 .. wouldn't that be great.. ?
I'm in awe of people who have kept friendships for years. At this point, I don't have any. Today I went to my step dad's to help with a few things and get his mail. He is fine but took a fall a couple of weeks and required sutures. When I got his mail a lady at the adult mobile park made a point of saying hello to me. If I ever find a place in a park I hope I can meet a couple of people. I will tend to self isolate.
Friendship takes cultivation and nurturing just like a good garden or flower bed. With people moving all over the place now days and living such busy lives it is a bit harder to built deep and intimate friendships but anyone can start building "I help you and you help me" friendships if they really want to. Wherever my husband and I have lived we have "grown" some of these kinds of friendships by sharing ourselves and what we have with others. Even if all we have sometimes is a smile and well wishes for the new friends. My husband is really good at "cultivating" friendships while I'm better at nurturing them. I bake and cook and share these things with new friends...and I'm better at listening to others while my husband could talk Oscar the Grouch into smiling. There are many people who are lonely and are just waiting for you to make the first move towards friendship. And there are many people who need help just as much as some of us do and would be willing to give that help if you are willing to give it to them too. Sometimes you have to take a step outside your comfort zone to start cultivating friendships...but it's important especially to us oldsters to do so because isolating ourselves is not healthy for any of us. And it is important to have someone you know will help in time of need especially if you have no family anywhere near you.
I've never had many friends and most of the ones I was closest to are only memories now. There are a couple of high school friends left but we don't often keep in touch. One of my early girlfriends and I have reconnected on facebook a few years ago. She came to see me when I was in the hospital. We live too far away from friends and family to visit in person so facebook helps us keep up,
I have a close friend and we've been friends since we were little girls. We didn't go to the same school but instead went to church together. Each Sunday, if she didn't spend the day with me after church, I would spend the day with her. Today, we are still very close. We were both very close to each other's parents too. When my husband was sick with cancer, she was right here by my side giving me all the support I or anyone could have asked for. Today, she calls me every day to make sure I'm okay since I am living alone now. We still spend a lot of time together. I couldn't ask for a better friend.
LOL!!!! Don't worry about me being shy. I am far from that! This is one of the rare times that I don't have anything to say. Some people would tell you, "You better enjoy it while you can". LOL!!!
We moved around a lot when I was growing up so I never established that life long friend. I have had close friends through the years and a social group of friends to get together with. Now it seems people have found their own niche and are comfortable with that. Age and illness sometimes lowers are energy level that limits us to be more outgoing and sociable.