Old Friends Are a Treasure

I spent the weekend in New York City a couple of weeks ago. My son goes to school in Manhatten and my daughter and I took the train to the city to visit. We spent that Saturday night with my son in his dorm room. We had a really good visit and ate dinner down at Tom's Restaurant, the same one that you see on the Seinfeld show all the time. It's a good place to eat, if you want something quick and inexpensive. On Sunday morning, I was a little worried, only because I know I have to make my way into the Bronx to see my son play in a rugby match. My son is leaving earlier in the morning with his team, so I'm going to have to find my own way to the match with my daughter. I'm excited to see the match, but a bit concerned about getting lost, as I don't know the city that well.

Earlier in the week, I had contacted one of my best friends from high school, Bob, who now lives in the Bronx, and told him I would be in the city and suggested we get together. I didn't exactly know what my schedule would be during the weekend and told him I would call later. So on Sunday morning, I called him again and we arranged to meet in upper Manhatten for lunch. Bob brought his daughter along, whom I had never met, and it was so great catching up with him and meeting her. I don't see Bob very often. In fact, sometimes as many as five or six years have passed inbetween times that we have been able to connect. What is great with old friends, however, is that you instantly pick up right where you left off with them, whether you saw them the day before, or five years before. The connection you share is just there. The conversation just flows. There's no effort involved or thought process going on. You are just friends. You always have been. You always will be.

After we had lunch, the four of us made our way to the Bronx to see my son play rugby. It was so helpful having Bob there, as he knew which bus to take and how to get to where we needed to be. To be honest, I think Bob's precocious daughter had a keener sense of direction than what Bob did, as she has grown up in the city. I don't think they realized how much stress they took off of me by getting me to the rugby match without any worries about getting lost. But that's what friends do. They make life more enjoyable.

Another unique thing that comes with old friends is the history that you share. Bob's daughter was very interested in what I had to say about how her Dad was when he was her age. And the same went for my daughter and what Bob had to say about me when I was growing up. Both of our daughters picked up on the connection and friendship that their Dads shared and I think they saw a different side of their fathers. The bottom line is that if you have an old friend, do what you can to always keep him or her in your life.