The Friendship Investment: A Case Study

A tribute to Darling Ms. V - wish you a fabulous new life in Cambridge and to Rider A - wish you a safe and amazing ride back to Scandinavia.

I was watching Sex and The City the other day, and there was an episode in which Carrie Bradshaw said, "Miranda, keeping a friendship for 40 years don't magically happen. You have to invest in it."

Which got me into thinking...

Two of my close friends are leaving Japan for good. One has just left 2 days ago and another one will be leaving 2 Fridays from now.
It has saddened me so, to think that Darling Ms. V is no longer a-phone-call-away-and-I'll-be-right-there, or Rider A will not be just a 5-minute-walk-from-my-office anymore.

These two very special people I have known for a while, whose hugs have been a source of comfort, the two kind of hugs that are very warm and assuring.
Darling Ms. V who often calls to say hi and we can chat for hours for nothing or everything in general, one who got me into playing Soccer in Japan, one who is my inspiration, one who always makes me smile.
Rider A, the dear man who said he was going to leave, but has always been there, whose hug is my favorite, who spoils me rotten with the finer things in life, who has been the source of endless random and trivia knowledge, and who inspired me to living the 2-wheels-world again.
Having them leaving means that we won't be able to meet physically as often as we used to.

People come and go, a wise friend often reminds me. C'est la vie.

One really has to invest in keeping a friendship.

Darling Ms. V and Rider A can go leave Japan, but I am NOT going to let them walk out of my life. We will keep in contact and we will visit one another, we will talk, we will catch up.
We will still be only that one-phone-call-away person. We may not meet at the drop of a hat, but we will meet again. I need to make sure to get a dose of those favorite hugs every once in a while.
I will invest my best assets in this friendship, because it is worth it.