My (temporary) bestie around the block
Last week, I got a taste of what it's like to have a best friend who lives around the block from me.
I had a dog and cat sit scheduled with someone from my college in a town between London and Oxford, and we planned some overlap so we could bake together. I bake sourdough, but not fancy things like macaron and canele.
It turned out that we (D, her partner M, her bestie S, and I) spent the weekend doing garden labor. It was a gloriously warm and sunny time, and so good to be moving my body in community with delightful people...and Ruby, who would delightedly play tug-of-war or fetch with one of her many toys.
We worked hard, and ate hard after. One evening we had Indian food, and the menu was so different to what I'm used to in the US. I had fun looking up the various names of curries, and landed on a creamy, spicy lentil one. Yum! And Sunday night, we had marinated flank steak, salad, and wild garlic cheese scones!
Once D and M left for their trip, I thought I would be on my own in a small town, and had set up several coaching calls. I did the calls and really am happy to be back in the game, so to speak.
And, I was delighted that S was my pal for the week. We met up for pre-bedtime walks with the doggos. We had a long walk in the countryside one afternoon. We hung out and talked about everything under the sun, and beyond! I baked her sourdough bread and kochujang cookies with my own tweaks (from a recipe shared by D), and S baked me lemon drizzle cake and raspberry brownies, and gave me two colorful scarves she knitted, and a beautiful card.
I've never had a bestie in this way, and it was so nourishing to witness D and S, and to be able to taste a bit of their relationship.
I'll also admit that I have longed for a deep, close friend, and also been afraid that I would lose myself and my sovereignty in such a relationship. As I find more self-respect and rootedness, I can imagine that I could handle the closeness and have boundaries and receive boundaries without making them personal.
How about you? Do you have a bestie? What's your friendship life like? And your dreams for friendship?
Til next time,
Ariel