As you know I live abroad in the UAE, and naturally there is a lot of transition with people arriving and leaving. Lifestyles are hectic and you can often go months in-between seeing your close friends.
When I arrived nearly five years young(ish), free and single, I took myself along to the Dubai netball league and joined a team. That was one of the best things I ever did as an expat as it gave me an automatic friends and support network.
Today I had a wonderful catch up and lunch with three very special friends that I met through netball.
I hadn’t seen the girls for MONTHS, but the hours flew by and there was never a quiet moment. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t seen a true friend in months or years. When you’re together everything is “normal” and as though you only saw each other the week before.
I guess this blog is about the importance of friends. They loved you for who you were before you were a mum and real friends love you for the fact you are now a mum as well- even if they don’t have babies themselves.
It’s important to keep up all friendships. It was important to me that I drove to Dubai. I wanted to show that I was making the effort. You don’t just have to join mother and baby classes and only hang out with people that you can ask baby questions to.
I’ve now recently joined the Abu netball league. I’m three weeks in with my new team and can already see some strong friendships being forged.
I know there are other friendships that I need to give more time to – whether that’s getting in my car and seeing that person, or arranging a Skype date and sticking to it. So watch this space all my other gorgeous and wonderful friends. I’m arranging a play date soon!
xx
“True friends are never apart. Maybe in distance, but never in heart.”
Dead right. Sometimes it takes a tremendous effort but it must be done. Good friends are too valuable for words and we would be much poorer without them.