When I was well into my twenties, other than my girl cousins (I don’t have that many since we’re mostly a family of boys), I barely had any friends.  It used to worry my mother to no end that I spent so much time alone and loved it.  When I was moving to America, she was soooooooooooooooooo worried.  It worried her that I was moving to a new country where I only really knew my family and a few acquaintances who had moved away right after high school.  She wanted me to make friends.  Good ones.  She prayed for me to make friends.  I’d never forget it “Dear God, I know she likes to spend time alone, but everyone needs a friend; please help her to make friends.”  That’s my mother for you.  I heart that lady.

Fast forward some  years, I’ve become better at the art of making friends.  I’m still not a social butterfly and love even more to spend time alone, but last Friday, I made another one.

I don’t know how I met Denise.  I think maybe I was going through projects on Ravelry and found hers and as a result her page.  I really can’t tell at this point, but whatever it was, I added her to my Ravelry friends list then surprise, surprise, she added me back.  And I say surprise because her skill-set is waaaaaaaaaaaaay beyond mine in both crochet and knitting so I thought it was really kind of her to add me to her friends list with my beginner projects.   After that, I started reading her blog and drooling over her awesome pictures.  I “met” her daughter Yoshi and other family members through these pictures and writings.  Then there was the first post I commented on and vice versa.  Then there the post that made me send her a message on Rav — she knows the one.  Then came more postings, more comments, more connection.  After that, came Instagram, then the “Dancing Queens” video.  By this time,  all bets were off.  So when she told me she was coming to NY and wanted to meet up, I was too excited.

The meeting — unforgettable.  I walked into the Lincoln Center Atrium, she stood up, and it was that all the online connections just merged into real life seamlessly.  She gives the best hugs.  I mean, tight, full-bodied, sincere, just big!  After that it was over for me.  Any hesitation that she might not like me or that we might not connect vanished into thin air.  We talked like we always knew each other.  We laughed until we cried — I’m still laughing.  I mean literally.  And the conversation covered so much.  Things we’ve shared online, things we had not.  She was as sweet as they come with a side order of naughty and I love it!!!  She was exactly who I thought she’d be.  She headed back home on Saturday and I miss her already.   Although our connection started through Ravelry (my mother didn’t grasp the concept of online friends but she has now — that’s another story :D), I know my mother’s prayers have been answered.  For all the people I’ve connected with especially those relationships that started online, grown with, now love, I have made friends and last Friday, I made another one.

Nicky and Denise