Discussion of the Day
Lasting friendships
EILEEN W28-Sep-21
Do you still have long lasting friendships?
A year ago my best friend from Primary School in the UK died. Almost 65 years ago she arrived from India and I was the only one who made her welcome. We lost contact when she married an American and I an Australian. 20 years ago, through a friends' reunion site, we found each other and it was as if we had never been parted. I visited her in Texas and our husbands never got a word in as we laughed. reminisced and vowed never to lose each other again. Every day we talked via Facebook or Messenger and her loving messages helped me through cancer but then suddenly cancer took her and I miss her so much. No other friendship has been like that one.
Comments
  • Yin Girl
    Have friends from when I was in high school and a couple for over 20 years. These are type of friendships that it doesn't matter how long it is between chats/catch ups you know have substance to last for ever :)
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    • Priscilla R 316016
      Such a pity to lose those closest to you.
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      • Edith v
        I know the feeling .I lost my long time friend recently .We had been friends for 70yrs .We journeyed thru Marriage,children ,grandchildren & great grand children.
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        • Melinda B 311794
          I don't have a lot of friendships, but the ones I do are treasured. I am sorry for the loss of your friend. I have one friendship in particular I value a lot. I consider her my best friend. Life has thrown both of us a lot of curve balls, and it is good to have someone I can talk to about the stuff arising from it. I hope we continue to be friends, too. There are a few others I also consider my friends. I'm pretty sure they know who they are. So I think it is possible. Life ain't easy, though! I am very sorry for the loss of your friend <3
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          • Louisa W
            I lost contact from a girl from high school and now I am in contact with her via messenger as i asked my sister to ask her to contact me on messenger and we have been for awhile now.
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            • Paula J 395266
              I have friends that I have had for many years. I wouldn't describe them as "best" friends but we are close. Some are easy friendships as we keep in touch but others I do find are hard work as it is always up to me to keep in touch. I contact them and they say what bad friends they are and will try to do better and sometimes I hear from them months later, but just lately I am wondering if it is worth the effort. I think I will devote my time to my friends that value my friendship and not the ones that can't find the time to send me a line now and then. It is a shame as I don't like to lose a friend because I don't have that many.
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              • Catalina
                Yes, I do. Far away but close, as they were 60 or 50 years ago. I’m very grateful.
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                • Anneliese
                  Oh sorry to hear, friendships like that are precious. I never really had close childhood friends. Was teased a lot and very shy. The one friend I did kind of grow up with has since moved overseas so only talk to her every now and again via facebook.
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                  • lulu
                    Argh bless kiddo but at least you had it how wonderful. I still have school Pals on FB but very little fun and laughter chin up kiddo x
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                    • Imperia S
                      Out of sight, out of mind as far as I am concerned,
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                      • Dimitri T 100433
                        still in touch with my school freinds
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                        • MoB
                          I joined the WRAF and met a wonderful friend. We were friends for 55 years. I spoke with her for the last time 10 minutes before she passed. For the 50 years she lived in Orkney and I live in Australia. We visited Orkney and she visited Australia many times. We skyped and spoke on the phone regularly. Oh, how I miss my dear friend.
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                          • Ruth v
                            I have a friend who lives in Adelaide. We have'nt seen each other for a long time but still keep in contact.
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                            • Jacqueline R 353303
                              Like you I had a penfriend from Iowa, USA. We have been writing for 66 years keeping in contact right up to the time she passed away last week. I am so sad. I did get to meet and spend time with her back in 2010 and we got on so well. I had hoped to get back to visit her again bu COVID happened and that finished that trip. She will be so missed my heart is breaking I can't imagine that I won't have anymore letters, photos and cards in the mail. Just blessed for her friendship.
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                              • Greg B 520364
                                I've been married to my best friend for 55 years
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                                • Luna
                                  I think people here are very lucky to have such long lasting friendships with regular contact. My longest is with 1 from high school and that would be 23 years. We don't see each other often but at least FB helps in that regard. Only positive thing about it really.
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                                  • Carolina Z
                                    One in a million cases, Eileen. Very commendable!
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                                    • John B 89024
                                      Yes I do.
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                                      • Tim R 439287
                                        Love it thank u
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                                        • Mary G 409440
                                          i have recently been in contact with a friend I lost touch with 52 years ago when she married and moved to Australia from New Zealand. Similar to you Eileen, it was through a school reunion and although we both have lead very different lives it was as if nothing had changed. She is still living in Australia and I am in New Zealand but we email each other and will never part again. It is very comforting to know I still have my dear friend to confide in and I am certain she feels the same...
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                                          • Glenys H 310155
                                            I lost touch with my friends in UK when we moved to Australia when I was 14 (1968) but I am still friends with many of my new friends from schoool in 1969. We just pick up from where we left off and are friends on Facebook
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                                            • Amber 22
                                              I wish I had good friends I think I do I love my family
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                                              • Beverley S 383001
                                                So sorry you lost your best Friend. I am lucky mine is still living, all be it in another state of Australia thousands of kilometres from me.
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                                                • roger l 315504
                                                  true friendships grow out of common experiences or tribulations overcome, they are not always close or intimate but it seems readily recover after a hiatus of months or years. problem is that as you get older not only your true friends die off but you do judge new acquaintances and find these new acquaintances wanting
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                                                  • Belle S
                                                    I have 3, 1since grade one .. 50yrs, sadly she passed away this year, due to an ongoing illness of 20yrs, she was not only my best friend she was my very first friend I made when I started school. 2 since grade 6 .. 45yrs and 1 since grade 9 .. 42yrs, we are still close, they are more like family.
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                                                    • Larry S 382961
                                                      Yes. I met some people in LA ( 1976 ) and had to deliver a boomerang to their pastor on behalf of their son who was in Sydney at that time. We were friends until sadly both have gone. They introduced me to their family and friends. I loved visiting them as they were like 2nd parents to me. They all were Christian so it was I and helped me to be part of their lives.
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                                                      • Robert T 597718
                                                        lasting may end up never because of distance
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                                                        • Jenny L 591463
                                                          I gave up on a long time friendship in the last 5 years. She made a promise then broke it, which made me very sad. That is one of my biggest bug bears. I don't have another relationship like that either and I doubt if I ever will again. Once bitten, twice shy. Friends come and they go, we grow up and grow apart. Yes they are missed and they are loved. Remember the good times and the laughing. My hubby is my best friend now.
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                                                          • Gaza
                                                            I've found a few classmates from school and we keep in touch but I've moved to WA and they are in NSW & Queensland and I can't afford to travel.
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                                                            • The dog house
                                                              I have two longtime friends. One since we were 12 years of age. We do not see each other much but communicate every year more so now we have retired. We lived in the same street but different schools. They have their health issues and I have mine. Getting old is not fun but we get on with it.
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                                                              • Ricardo J
                                                                I have a long time friend who still calls and wishes me a good birthday every year. We may not see each other every day, or even week, but we still manage to keep in touch.
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                                                                • Christine M 323842
                                                                  I’ve heard of them.
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                                                                  • Stephen W 322826
                                                                    My mum was such a good friend when i was older, she collapsed and died in my arms of a brain embolism on xmas eve 1999. The pain eases but the hurt is still there. Always take the time to tell your freinds and family how much you love them.
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                                                                    • Stephen F 84899
                                                                      Wonderful to have
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                                                                      • JANN R
                                                                        My best friend and I went to boarding school together and we have been friends ever since we still keep in touch I have made a lot of friends over the years with people I have worked with and we all keep in touch with each other
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                                                                        • Julie K 348980
                                                                          After 56 years, since becoming friends in fourth-grade, my friend and I still keep in touch. She lives in another State so we cannot catch up as much as we would like but still really enjoy each other’s company and chat non-stop for hours.
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                                                                          • Roslyn A
                                                                            Our lives are constantly changing and then we lose contact. I wish I could get back every friend I have ever had and laugh and talk and dream like we used to.
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                                                                            • Maree B 85308
                                                                              I see my best friend once a year for 2 weeks, and that will be next week. I can't wait, I look forward to our next meeting as soon as I leave her. If she was a bloke I would have married her, she understands me much better than my husband. We don't do much just hang out talk and laugh. She has 5 sisters and I am often mistaken for one, I am highly honoured.
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                                                                              • EILEEN W 310556
                                                                                How lovely to have such a friendship.
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                                                                            • Grommie
                                                                              friends come and go, but enemies accumulate
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                                                                              • View all 3 replies
                                                                              • APB
                                                                                You should move around more!
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                                                                              • GrommieAPB
                                                                                always sage advice from thee, Andrew 1. Is 178 circumnavigations of the world at 18 knots average enough for you? in the moving around stakes , that is.
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                                                                              • APBGrommie
                                                                                Very impressive...and they still know where you are?
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                                                                            • Kim N 285099
                                                                              There are no lasting friends. My kindergarten classmates, because of a fire in the kindergarten, the kindergarten closed after graduation, and the classmates were never contacted. After graduating from elementary school, (a long time ago, there was no mobile phone, and there was no phone at home) Go to different middle schools, hard to maintain contact, after graduating from high school, the middle school students went to other universities or went to other places for work (Me too). After I got married, because I have married to another country, the cost of long-distance calls to foreign countries was high, and I couldn't make contact. Now I only use Facebook to contact some friends. My old classmates and friends don't like to surf the Internet.
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                                                                              • Claude H
                                                                                I have never had close friends but enjoy all the friends I have.
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                                                                                • Frank N
                                                                                  Friends are a treasure, especially the lasting ones
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                                                                                  • Lucy K 511875
                                                                                    Yes
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                                                                                    • Tim R 439287
                                                                                      Ture
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                                                                                      • Tupulua S
                                                                                        Yes, we all have lasting friendship, some for many many years, some lend a helping hand in some difficulties we face, regardless of long lasting friendship with other people, they say, everyday friends come and go and families on a really bad days are there to stay
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                                                                                        • Sheree T
                                                                                          I have some lasting friendships with the people I use to work with and regularly go out for coffee and lunch and stay in touch through Messenger. We have so many laughs together it's great.
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                                                                                          • kristian s 513441
                                                                                            I don't have a lasting friendships with none of the people know or uses to socialize with.
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                                                                                            • Carrie K 391388
                                                                                              Similarly, a friend since kindergarten just died of cancer. We went through grade school high school together. Lost touch in college. And we are arranging a 50th H. S. Reunion. I contact her older brother to let her know. He replied, she died out in California. I was very surprised! Send your love out to your friends, before you lose them forever
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                                                                                              • Julie 330321
                                                                                                Lasting friendships only last if you’re prepared to share, give and take and remain true to friendship in general. Friendship can bring very special understanding and support in times of need DONT be a taker always give as receive a wonderful thing is a true and lasting thing
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                                                                                                • PETER M 134659
                                                                                                  THE ONES THAT MATTER
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                                                                                                  • Rhonda D 522615
                                                                                                    Have one friend from junior high school. Still in touch often. But most people come and go. :(
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                                                                                                    • Maria B 89860
                                                                                                      I am still in touch with a friend I met a amateur theatre classes back in the 60s though it's via email these days as she moved interstate.
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                                                                                                      • Linda C
                                                                                                        I have friends I have know for over 55 years and some only about 20 or less but my best friend was my sister. We talked most days and emailed as well late into the night. We travelled overseas to Europe and the Baltics twice plus Indonesia and New Zealand and interstate to most states and territories and we spent time visiting each other most years as I live in Qld and she in Victoria. Unfortunately I lost her to cancer 2 years ago and I have not laughed since. We used to laugh so much our stomachs hurt. Miss her every day. Cancer is a B of a thing. I have lost both parents, 2 sisters, friends, aunts, uncles and cousins to it and a few bits of my body also. I am glad you beat the B but sorry you lost your friend. No words are enough comfort and yes time lessons the hurt but you will always miss them. Keep her in your heart and memories always.
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                                                                                                        • Julie 330321
                                                                                                          The pain you must feel but maybe there ar a few little snippets of the lovely times you had with your sis9ter your true friend , I don’t know your grief but sometimes I find myself just having a giggle about funny little things from your shared I do hope you do not find May comments offensive in any way I have lost many people I had thought were friends when I was diagnosed with nultiple health issues including advancing Parkinson’s disease&jpasth
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                                                                                                        • Linda CJulie 330321
                                                                                                          I have lots of photos in my upstairs office showing our travels and some when we were kids right up to shortly before her death and same with other family members. They are with me always. You have your health challenges which sucks. I do not find most comments on this site offensive but just another point of view some I agree with and some I do not and likewise with mine. Take care
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                                                                                                      • Disie
                                                                                                        Yes. My Bestie from the start of High School. We get together and it's like we're back at school, laughing over the smallest thing
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                                                                                                        • Priscilla R 316016
                                                                                                          How wonderful that you are still memorizing this!
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