Christmas was approaching and I was struggling with Christmas spirit. I’ve been watching all the Hallmark Christmas movies, visited local shops on Small Business Saturday, but, with so much of the world in turmoil, it’s just a struggle to think about “Peace on Earth” this year. I decided the best way to approach this holiday was through friendships.

It was time to write my Christmas letter and get my Christmas cards sent out. The thing about sending Christmas cards is that with every address, it brings to mind good friends and past memories. I’ve lived many different places, and with each home, I’ve always found good friends. It’s sad to leave a place and leave friends, but as the saying goes, “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, the other  is gold.”

In the three years that we have made the South our home, I’ve begun gathering new friends. At this somewhat elderly stage of life, it’s a different experience. We have a life from the past that isn’t known to the new person. Even time doesn’t reveal the many years that have preceded our lives here. Care can be needed when expressing thoughts, as you don’t have a worn path to another’s thoughts and opinions.

But every now and then, a friendship evolves. Meeting new people needs to be viewed as an adventure, as you never know what you might discover. Casual conversations can become the beginning of longer-term relationships. This column has encouraged me to approach strangers that I wouldn’t ordinarily have met. I can ask probing questions that would normally not be asked in a chance meeting.

I’ve discovered places like Campbell’s Covered Bridge, Jackson Grove Cemetery, Tigerville and the old Monk Institute in Campobello, that have taught me the history of my surroundings. I’ve met bluegrass and gospel musicians that have given me insight and understanding of the local people and traditions. Sharing stories with business owners of the many Landrum area shops and the farmers market vendors, has helped me feel part of the community.

Hugh and Jo Ann Foster are Southerners from many generations back and I learned that there was a fascinating family history of covered wagons, the Civil War, train rides and horses. I was introduced to Hugh’s cousin and spent an afternoon listening to their story for my newspaper column. Like I said, developing new friendships can be a fascinating adventure. In spite of our short time in residence, I feel at home here at the foot of the smoky, Blue Ridge Mountains.

I recently discovered a charming book devoted to friendship called “A Celebration of Friendship.” It’s filled with stories, poems, and sayings about friendship. There’s a quote by Ellen Goodman that I find especially appropriate at this season of life:

“Is there anything good to be said for the passage of time? Here is one thing: it’s the only way you get to be old friends. There just isn’t any shortcut to the long run.”

And from the same book in an essay by Pamela Kennedy entitled “Old Friends, New Friends,” she states, “Old friends are a treasure of inestimable value. New friends are the future.”

With the New Year approaching and the singing of “Auld Lang Syne,” I felt it was appropriate to make friendship the focus of my column. Some research of the song tells me that the phrase ‘auld lang syne’ roughly translates as ‘for old times’ sake,’ and the song is all about preserving old friendships and looking back over the events of the year.

As I address my Christmas cards this year, I value the friendships and memories that I have shared with old friends for the many past Christmases. And I treasure the new friendships that have become part of my life and are my future, here in the Carolinas. “Make New Friends, but keep the old. One is silver, the other is gold.”