#DailyWritingChallenge Day 7: Friendship

Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an association, and has been studied in academic fields such as communication, sociology, social psychology, anthropology, and philosophy.

Relationships with partners, family, colleagues and friends are under a new spotlight as we adapt to our new normal. Some will be strengthened, some will be broken and some will be formed in this period of social distancing and isolation.

I think perhaps we need to use our words more specifically, this period of physical social distancing and physical isolation, socially we can connect now more than ever more. We now have the time, the energy, the empty schedule and the inclination to reach out, for many to reconnect with old friends who we may have lost touch with.

Friendships are a great source of support, love and energy for me. I have important relationships with different friends and friendship groups which mean a lot to me. My friendships enrich my life.

Some friends have been constants in my life since I was at primary school, college and university. Other friendships have formed through work, socialising and staying in touch when people move on. I have several groups of women who I see regularly, we rotate dinners, spa and theatre trips. My sister is someone who, even if we were not blood-related I would want to have in my life as a friend. We are chalk and cheese but have a strong bond.

As my friends have got married and had children around me these relationships have not changed, a few friends have disappeared and found new friendship groups, but on the whole my circle of friends has remained in tact, our catch ups may be less frequent, but we pick up where we left off each time we reconnect on the phone or in person.

At one point, my two oldest and closest friends were both living away – one in Borneo and one in Canada, navigating time zone differences and life style changes meant we had to recalibrate how and when we communicated. Thankfully, free Whatsapp calls enabled regular messaging and voice notes. Friends living overseas has also shaped my travels as I have arranged trips to go and visit them and their families – I am Godparent to the children of both.

Leaving London and relocating meant that friendships had to evolve as I was a few hours away from my immediate circle. I miss the mid-week wine, cinema/ theatre and dinners but I now get to spend long leisurely weekends with my friends instead. I don’t mind bombing around the country at weekends to visit friends and they really don’t mind escaping to mine for a weekend away from husbands and kids!

Becoming a Headteacher didn’t affect my work relationships, I think some educators fear the shift to SLT or Headship as putting barriers between them and their relationships with peers and colleagues. I am fortunate to have recruited two brilliant teams, and despite leaving my role and my schools, I am in regular contact with many of the ‘originals’ still.

Relocating and not knowing anyone in the local area except for work colleagues, plus being flat out at work opening two new schools, meant that for the first few years living in Oxfordshire I didn’t meet new people who were not linked to the school. Yet, overtime I have met some wonderful people who are my local friends who I am beginning to resurrect my mid-week socials with.

And then there is Twitter. My Dad still doesn’t get that I have friends who I met on Twitter. I think I have been on the platform for 8 years, and I have probably been an active user for 5 years, which is when we founded #WomenEd. Through going to grassroots events and networking online, I have met so many kindred spirits. Converting virtual connections into real time friendships has been a gift that I didn’t expect to receive. Some of my closest friends who I am in daily contact with, are from relationships ignited online, developed at events and that have moved into more social interactivity.

So in the coming weeks I am going to consciously reach out to people in my circles who I have not seen nor spoken to in a while. I am going to pick up the phone and have a chat, rather than commenting on Facebook or sending a text. Who knows what new friendships will also be formed under these new conditions too.