You know that little saying and song about friends? "Make new friends, but keep the old;
some are are silver, the others are gold." Well, that has been bouncing in my brain, and thanks to another little friend, Google, I discovered that those words are part of a song written by a Welsh composer and musician, Joseph Parry. The whole song goes like this: Make new friends, but keep the old;
Those are silver, these are gold.
New-made friendships, like new wine,
Age will mellow and refine.
Friendships that have stood the test -
Time and change - are surely best;
Brow may wrinkle, hair grow gray,
Friendship never knows decay.
For 'mid old friends, tried and true,
Once more we our youth renew.
But old friends, alas! may die,
New friends must their place supply.
Cherish friendship in your breast-
New is good, but old is best;
Make new friends, but keep the old;
Those are silver, these are gold.
I like that a line from a song I learned in Girl Scouts over 20 years ago has a history beyond me. In the past few weeks, the idea that the old is gold and the new is special too has certainly been felt.
One instance started with the help of Facebook. While FB has its merited drawbacks, it can sometimes really shine and bring people together. That was the case with my bestie from 8th grade, Sarah. While we have been FB friends for over a decade, we haven't kept in touch. While it is no excuse, different high schools, different universities, different states, marriage, kids, furbabies, careers, etc. kept us from reaching out. Fast forward to a few months ago and after posting something on FB, I got a little message from Sarah. After a bit of back and forth, I learned about how she and her hubby have their own friendship with Mexico. We exchanged some travel tips and then it snowballed to a couple of weeks ago when they spent a week here in Merida! It was so lovely to re-connect. In many ways, we picked up right where we left off. The same kinds of things make us laugh, we have the same fashion sense (she more than me!), but now we can giggle with an adult beverage in hand. We mutually patted each other's back for making it to middle age, marrying some really cute guys, and being "cool" despite what our middle-school hormones made us think. We already made a pact not to let it go over a decade again before we hang out again. Contrastingly, last week we said hasta luego to the other "Fulbright Family" that has been here in Merida as they headed home to Seattle. Madeline especially shared a sweet bond with their son, Dexter. We overlapped many Taekwondo classes, video game sessions, lots of swimming, and impromptu meetups with them. Sharing this family experience in solidarity and camaraderie has been an unexpected gift and support system for all of us. We hope to keep in touch and meet up someday in the Northwest, or back here in Merida!
Continuing with the theme of friendship, just as a friend can hold a special place in someone's heart, so too can a geographical or physical place. This idea suggests that despite the passage of time, physical distance, and the experiences that may intervene, the emotional connection remains intact, merely awaiting rediscovery, rekindling, and, in some instances, repair. This brings me a sense of comfort, as it implies that nothing, a friendship or a place, is truly lost forever and that closure is not always final and absolute. So despite arriving at our final weeks, we hope to continue making connections with people, places, and activities. Ryan, too, had some recent fun experiences with old and new "friends" as he welcomed his former Arabic teacher to his class to work with his students. It's a miracle of technology that someone from Egypt in Saudi Arabia can be with university students in Mexico. He also was invited to judge an English spelling bee at a local school. Quite the formal affair, he embraced the role warmly.
As a family, last week we went to cheer on the Yucatan Leones, Merida's prized professional baseball team. As expected, we were mainly into the snacks and people watching rather than the score or skills of the game. We also took advantage of a final car rental to go off the beaten path to the magic town of Tekax (pronounced Te-kahsh) and beach town Telchac Puerto. With the temperatures regularly hitting 105 F. we are soaking up any body of water we can. We especially loved a cenote all to ourselves and while perfection is hard to come by, admittedly Poc Chuc and a Coke by the pool is pretty spectacular.
Finally, I presented my "product" that I created for my graduate class to my advisor and supportive fans (Ryan, a valued mentor, and my dear friend Monica). Part artwork, part research evidence/response, it was fun to work with the audio-visual medium. Regardless of the higher-ed jargon and artsy-fartsy flair, I'm going to share the presentation here vulnerably. While I'm not sure it will lead to more research, I certainly know I need to work on my video editing skills and it makes me eager for courses in the fall.
Just a few weeks left and I'll be posting from our old, but certainly cherished forever friend, Iowa. As always, thank you dear friends, silver, gold, and all the colors in between, for reading and following.
As always, love reading your post, Megan! Looking forward to seeing everyone back in Iowa City!