Connection

We spoke every week or two. You were behind the coffee bar, I was a patron. One day, you casually mentioned that you were moving on to a new career. I was excited, although in hindsight I am not sure to what extent my excitement is visible and interpretable. Part of me entered a contemplative mood. An acquaintance who brought warmth to an environment moved on to something new. Fresh horizons, a new opportunity to shine. Will the environment be the same?

Last year, I had my last appointment with my current hairdresser, who has cut my hair for years. I have always been a bit unsure about hair styles. She made my hair feel like it was on autopilot. As long as I kept going to get my hair cut, my hair looked good. We had great discussions. We’d chat about the global and the local; family, politics, the town. I enjoyed those moments. Next? My hairdresser will embark on an exciting new journey. I wish her all the luck in the world.

I have a friend with whom I would walk every few weeks during the pandemic, when the law allowed. I moved and I realised that I would no longer be able to go on the same walks. I will no longer see someone who played a big part in my life on nearly as frequent of a cadence – a person to whom I can attribute my propensity to walk fast (may I one day beat him in a walking race!). The relationship meant the world at pivotal moments in my life: primary school, high school. We’ll be friends forever, I would say. But the days of seeing each other every day – or at least every week or two – are no longer.

One never knows when the daily relationships and the acquaintances who you see every so often move on. I feel tearful, but then I remember all of the new relationships that are to come. The people who I can make smile; friends with whom I can share knowledge and from whom I can learn. New experiences to be had. While the cadence of communication may not continue forever, friendship, on the other hand, does last forever. Connections – big and small – leave impressions. Memories. Anchors.

With the close of actively seeing an acquaintance and friend, there is both sorrow and joy for the moments we shared. A thought rages in the back of my mind: how will I meet new people? The answer? Serendipity has a way.