10 Things That Happen When You Reunite With Old Friends

It’s no mystery why the song “Reunited (And It Feels So Good)” is aptly titled. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to reunite in the past few months with some long-time friends from college and other parts of my life. It’s been simply glorious to see friends who are rearing children, raising kitties, building businesses and involved in self-growth.

This is what’s happened recently:

1. The first joy is getting back in contact and buzzing with excitement about the little texts and messages we’ve traded with each other.
   
2. Next, we got super excited about planning and anticipating the reunion. 
3. I started getting more curious about what my friends were doing. For one of the reunions, I met up with a gal I met on my college tour! Mind you this is someone from Texas I met in Pennsylvania a year before we started school. In fact, we met months before we applied or had been accepted! Then, we both got in and saw each other early on in the bookstore! We always were friendly at Penn, but weren’t close. I think that’s because we didn’t live near each other until our senior years when we lived next door and shared deck spaces. I always really enjoyed her, and sporadically kept in touch over the years. But it wasn’t until a month ago that we reconnected on Facebook and started sending texts. We finally met up last week for ramen. Let me tell you, she’s amazing and I can already tell we are going to be fast and forever friends. 
4. It’s amazing to see how much or little we’ve changed. I’ve noticed that my friends have hardly aged and still look nearly identical to when we knew each other years ago. 
5. What’s really cool is noticing my own growth in their eyes. I often get down on myself and forget that I’ve done anything of note, or that I’m doing cool things. When my old friends reflect back how things have changed, it’s a strong reminder of my own progress.
   
6. Obviously, we’ve had giggles and fits of laughter as we’ve filled each other in on our romantic developments and misguided attempts. Many of my friends have kids or are in long-term relationships, after some now laughable moments with exes. It’s all grist for the mill and I’m happy to be on this side of the mountain.
   
7. These reunions are all about reminiscing the good times we’ve had together. Telling stories one of us had forgotten and reminding the other of the silly antics we’ve experienced is so funny! I’ve had so much laughter recently and it is so fulfilling to connect in this way. 
8. Of course, seeing long-time friends means we have to calculate how long we’ve known each other. For one of my dear reunited friends, we met when we were 13 years old! We dance together and laugh at the same things still that we did as young teenagers. My mind is still blown that we’re this old now! 
9. No good reunion would be complete without catching up about our mutual friends. I love when I hear about friends with whom I’m not in touch and I hear great things about them. Part of this is trying to figure out where/how/what/who everyone is now.  
10. One of the biggest thrills of reunions is realizing that underneath some of the lifestyle changes, my friends are still the same wonderful people I befriended way back when. This feeling is one of completeness, thoroughness, satisfaction and pure love for getting the opportunity to spend quality time together.  

If we haven’t seen each other in a few years, know I’m coming for you! And, please get in touch with me. For readers I haven’t met yet: I highly recommend making an effort and trying to reunite with YOUR old friends and buddies if it’s been a while. The feeling of getting together is usually nothing short of magical and satisfying.

 

To work with me, please visit my coaching page. I work with clients locally in Southern California as well as remotely in far away places. Here are a few other blog posts you might like: Planting Seeds, Why is it so hard to apologize?, Missing You.