Re: What separates true friends from acquaintances?
Very true words, Anne. The ex married couple I knew from 30 odd years ago, one of whom has a lovely new partner, who also classes me as her friend, I now don’t see since I moved away, but when we used to meet up after months apart, it was exactly that, like no time had passed.
The man and his new partner would never let me pay for or contribute towards meals out. His ex wife once sat beside me, stroking my hand, as I writhed in pain after my surgery exactly 7 years ago. She saw me at my lowest and at my worst. The ex husband, at my request, collected me from hospital (in London), and drove me down to Sussex to the convalescence home I spent two weeks at, and collected me after to take home. Yes, I paid him expenses.
All three people are very dear to me.
The lady at the allotment, I’d like to think was a friend, but then she did do the dirty on me over there, and I’ve never forgiven her. It was sly, and sneaky! When I told the then allotments officer I wanted the two raised beds that my then deceased brother in law had, I mistakenly told her of my intention, and she swooped in days before I was due to meet him, and took one for herself. Not just any one, no, the one that wasn’t directly under a huge walnut tree, which dropped its walnuts onto the bed and caused such a mess.
Would a true friend do that? No, she knew I was meeting him three days later. She knew what she was doing. We still talk on the phone, and I enjoy our conversations, especially allotment gossip, but now class her as an acquaintance.
My neighbour at the flats? Hmmmm, maybe as a friend, but we never met socially, more conversing on the phone and we had a shared interest on what was going on around us, and issues on the site.
Beginning to talk to more neighbours here in lowestoft, one who gave me her phone number. She has a partner and is younger, so maybe not a close friend, but somebody I could probably call on if I needed help. She actually put that on her note, when she gave her number.