How Old Are Your Friends?

After reading, “The Age of Friendship”,  I realized that the author touched on an important aspect of forming friendships. (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/68474/the_age_of_friendship.html) Why should you limit friends to just your own age group? Choosing friends should be based on common interests and compatible personalities rather than on age. Sometimes you may choose a friend because he or she is a neighbor and you have that in common. You might select a friend from your church, health club, school organization, your workplace, your bowling league, your bridge club, or a neighborhood group: age differences shouldn’t matter.

I live in a retirement community where the ages of the residents range from fifty-five to ninety years old. I have friends who are ten years older than I am, and some that are ten years younger than I am. With each friend, I share something special: going bowling, swimming, playing cards, shopping, or other activities. I am not especially close to these friends, but when we are together, we have a good time and value the time we spend with each other. All your friends don’t have to be best buddies; they can be what I call occasional friends: you see them for a special occasion or activity and enjoy their company. In our clubs and activities, there are people of all ages who seek out others as friends. Age doesn’t seem to matter.

My daughter, who is thirty, has a best friend who is forty-one. They share similar parenting standards, interests, and they can talk to each other about anything without fear of being judged. They help each other through life’s everyday trials, share each other’s happiness, and are there for each other if something awful happens. If these two women had confined their choice of friends to their own ages, they wouldn’t have each other.