Making Friends by Merri Maywether

Today is National New Friends Day. The reminder of the holiday tickled this sweet and true story about how friendships begin. 

For two hours a day, I get to teach kids aged five to twelve the nuances of reading. Because I am the librarian, they can be honest and tell me if they don’t like a book, or a genre, or the magazine I selected for the year. 

In turn, they teach me the little things I forgot. I was shelving books when I overheard this conversation between two seven-year-old boys. 

The setup. They are the only boys in the class and are working on a puzzle of the map of the United States. I set it out as a primer for when they have to learn it when they are in third grade. I also wiggled a map reading lesson in there. 

Boy one: I like working with you. 

Boy two: Yeah, it’s easy to talk through my problems. (The current problem was where is New Mexico?)

Boy one: thank you for unfreezing me at recess.

Boy two: no problem. I know how to zig zag so the girls don’t catch me. 

Boy one: I’d like it if you were my friend. 

Boy two: That would be nice. Let’s do it. 

The conversation continues to discuss mutual friends and their goods and bads. (i.e. he or she helps me with my homework but  talks a lot on the bus and gets us in trouble.)

It was one of those lessons that I needed to relearn. I just assumed because of the circumstances that they were already friends. 

They taught me that friendship entails conversations that define the relationship. In years to come, they’ll have stories of shenanigans, working through problems where the puzzle piece won’t be as easy to find, and insights to share. 

The two new friends left the library with books in hand. However, they left me with a sweet reminder of those moments when I saw someone-or it could be the other way around- and we decided, “Hey, that’ll be my companion, and we’ll….” 

Do you have any I remember the day we became friend stories? Give the friend a call or tag them in one of those you-are-my-friend posts. I bet it'll make both of you smile.

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I’ve also figured out why all of my books have a lot of friend moments. My recent release, Cottage Cove Homecoming, begins with a reunion of two people who didn’t have that conversation when they were kids. Whitney helped Conrad pass high school. He moved on and became famous. When Conrad returns to Cottage Cove, he’ll discover that friendships (even the ones we leave behind) nurture the seed of who we were meant to be. 

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Cottage Cove Homecoming

In the small town of Cottage Cove, Conrad returns after years away, seeking help from the one person he's always trusted: Whitney. But he's taken aback when he encounters a remarkable change in her. No longer the shy and awkward girl he once knew, Whitney has blossomed into a sassy, sweet, and stunning woman with an impressive talent for baking.

When Whitney takes charge of a special project that could bring attention to the retired football pro, yearning to reconnect with his humble beginnings, Conrad finds himself drawn to her. However, Whitney, having learned from her past, is hesitant to embrace this newfound connection and allow herself to trust again.

Their collaboration on this important venture holds the key to either rebuilding broken bridges or destroying them completely. Working side by side reveals some surprises. 

Join Conrad and Whitney on their heartwarming journey of love, forgiveness, and self-discovery in a sweet and enchanting tale that will leave you yearning for love's sweetest embrace.

Cottage Cove Homecoming is available at 

| Amazon |