I felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement as I sat faffing around with my chocolate muffin and flat white. How did I look? My mind was spinning.
The companion I was awaiting was not some hunky date – it was a woman I hadn’t seen in 40 years. I’d reached out, with trepidation, to my old school friend Tami, and we’d agreed to meet at my local Gails.
Since hitting my sixties, I have felt a newfound yearning to reconnect with pals I haven’t seen in decades. I find myself longing for those conspiratorial chats huddled in the corner of a party, part gossip, and crying with laughter over the untangling of yet another knotty romantic problem. Those moments validated who I was and were a tonic to my soul.
It is a comforting nostalgia to scroll back through time, but it is also driven by a modern truth: midlife is when you need your friends the most. It is a time of seismic change, marked by divorce, health niggles, losing parents, and trying to stay ahead of the ageing curve. Looking back at those carefree days isn’t just about reminiscing; it is about filling the silence in the empty flat. For me, it is surprisingly easy to go a whole week without seeing anyone you truly know.
I was thinking about this last year, while driving through Putney, where I grew up. Near the common where we used to play, Tami popped into my head. Taking a leap of faith, I tracked her down on social media. To my delight, she responded immediately and promised to meet the next time she was back in England.
