Letter #92

Letter writing topic for April 2, 2010:

For most people, when you're a kid, making friends is easy. Often kids just walk up to each other, say "Hi," and they're off and running on a new friendship. Even throughout high school and college, making friends seems fairly simple.

But, for an adult, making new friends can be a daunting venture. You can't exactly go up to someone at the coffee shop and say, "Hi! Do you want to be friends?"

Sometimes, you can be friends with people at work, but often co-workers are just co-workers or maybe acquaintances. From time to time, as an adult, you come across someone that you have things in common with. You laugh at the same jokes, enjoy the same type of food, have the same kind of pets. And, yet, it can be difficult to figure out how to take that first step toward friendship.

Years ago, I reconnected with a former college classmate by writing her a letter suggesting that we get together for coffee. She was thrilled with the idea, and our friendship was reignited. We're still friends today, but since we live in different towns now, we're more often penpals and Facebook friends than we are coffee shop friends.

Today, write a letter of introduction to a potential new friend and suggest a casual get together. Maybe you'll have a new friend by next week!