I’m realizing that, in those friendships, there’s no shared ritual. Our points of connection depend on one of us having the time and energy to make the effort. It’s okay that our conversations, or our times together, are sporadic. Sometimes that’s simply all we have available.
Annie Mueller, on the rituals that make friendships sustainable.
I hike almost every weekend with a friend, sometimes it is 3 miles, and other times it is 5. We talk about life, politics, and football. The ritual of the hike creates opportunities, and deliberate space, for these conversations, and that is what is critical in maintaining the friendship. Creating and holding space, as my wife would say.
