Friendship and Love

With Christmas now over, today was a relaxed day. No shopping, buying, wrapping, cooking, running around or organising. And after a chaotic December, that felt nice.

I saw a close friend of mine today, and it felt lovely to share some moments with someone I trust completely. It also gave me the opportunity to think about my friends and how lucky I am to have them, especially after a year which has been more than a little challenging.

I couldn't resist putting the word "love" in the title of this blog. Every time the word has appeared in a blog title, it gets more hits than all the other posts! I guess it is something that every one of us is looking for, in one way or another.  Let's see if it works this time too. 

There has been lots of hard stuff in our family this year, but I will also remember 2012 as the year in which I met several new friends and also caught up again with some special people from the past. (Laurie and Tania from Malta twenty years ago - I am talking about both of you!)

In terms of new friends, I could not write this without mentioning all the people from the Somero English Club, for whom this blog was set up in the first place. There are too many to list individually, but I have to mention Manu, who has become one of my best friends and with whom I have laughed and cried on many occasions. I must also say a special thank you to Hannele, Kari and Marja-Leena and Kyösti and Maritta - all of whom helped us with our move in October in different ways and whose support was, and remains, invaluable.  And Heikki the wood-chopper and Soila without whom the club would not be the same.

I have to mention Katri individually - who is one of those people who gives her heart and soul to others without realising how much she is loved and appreciated in return. Well here it is Katri. We all love you! Now it is official.

I met Anne through the choir and then a phone conversation some time later in which it suddenly became clear how much we thought in the same way. I now consider Anne to be one of my soul-mates.

Kirsti came into my life through a random encounter with her dog (Topi) and I met Heidi through the church and immeditiately clicked with both of them. It was only some time later that I discovered they were sisters-in law, which then led to many shared moments enjoying biscuits and coffee in Kirsti's kitchen and putting the world to rights.

Then there is Liisa, our ex-vet, who looked after our cat Caroline in her last weeks, who had the courage to take me ice-skating and who has become like a sister to me now. Liisa and my half-Spanish friend Ella have also been the two people who have introduced me to orienteering and looked after me when I almost knocked myself unconscious during the last orienteering session of the year in September. Very undignified. Ella has now also become by swimming buddie and incidentally makes the best bread in the whole world.

In the UK I have met several special people over the last few weeks, especially through the care home where my parents now are. But if I mention one new English friend from this year it must be Rob - a great dance partner and and even better friend. Let's hope 2013 brings you all the luck you deserve.

A huge thank you to all these new friends from 2012. Together they constitute the positive side of the year and what I will take with me into the future when this year is finally over.

And there is one more person I have to mention. As a great believer in destiny, I love it when things happen in unexpected ways. I received a letter out of the blue last month which reached me by accident, and led to the most bizarre and unpredictable chain of events. I can't tell the whole story here (too complicated), but to the person who wrote that letter, a special thank you to you. Against all the odds, and despite my elevated sense of cynicism, you are the one person who has succeeded in making me believe that one day it may actually be possible to love again.  Your appearance in my life could not have been better timed, and in a year when I sometimes felt like giving up completely, I am more grateful than you will ever know.  

So you see, the word "love" in the title was not so random. I have started to believe that maybe it is not so far away after all. To all my friends currently also hoping to find love - don't give up, because you never know what is just around the corner. Believe me.... I know.