I
sure did. But today I’m using this polite prompt (suggesting it’s time for a reality check) to talk about friendship.
During the year just gone, you probably welcomed new friends—both in life and online. But in a world where the word ‘friend’ now has different connotations (and technology tricks, like AI, has us constantly questioning what’s real and what’s fake) I’m wondering…
What does real friendship look like? And does being ‘friended’ count?
In a sense—yes. Social media can help us connect and stay connected, and such connections can bring about invitations to parties, to places, or more online spaces and more friend requests.
Then there’s ‘true’ friendship, when you’re invited into someone’s ‘REAL’— into the nitty gritty, the not-so-pretty, the tricky, the crazy, and the sometimes uncomfortable and brutally honest. ‘REAL’ also means being invited into places of heartache and despair, or asked to hear confessions and hold secrets without judging. (And at other times it’s about not talking at all, nor asking any questions. Simply go with the flow.)
Again, the festive season showed me that true friendship isn’t fussed with wrapping and giving the biggest gift. It’s about wrapping your arms tight to comfort, and giving space when needed.
In fact, the only ‘present’ a REAL friend needs to give is being present (listening, hearing, and understanding) because real friendship can sometimes get messy and uncomfortable and dark.
As I write this post, I see the true friendship concept starting to sound a lot like family. And you’ll be seeing the same if, like us, you have friends who fit the ‘real friendship’ bill.
As for online friends… what a wonderful mob!
It’s weird to think, after all these years, that if not for stuff like distance, obligations, and life getting in the way, some of us might have met in person often enough to have formed a real friendship. And while I would’ve loved that, I’ll have to settle for knowing I have lovely and loyal people who I keep in touch with online. (You know who you are.)
I confess to once saying, “I’ll never get caught up in this new Facebook thing”. (And maybe you did too, once. Come on, admit it!) But here I am enjoying genuine connection, acceptance and support from long-time but geographically distant friends, right alongside long-time online friends I’ve never met.
And so Jeannette and I enter 2026 feeling grateful, because all too often we encounter the phoney friendship of those who turn out to be the antithesis of authenticity.
To ALL my lovely friends at the end of this blog and online, thanks for connecting and keeping in touch. And if, like J and I, you find yourself invited into a person’s REAL, know you are lucky, be grateful, and most importantly, be ‘REAL’ back.
(You are welcome to share if you like this post).
Jenn xx
While Maggie is facing stormy times – fictionally speaking – my gorgeous dad has endured his own perfect storm this past year. Many of you will remember I lost Mum 12 months ago, two weeks before my very first book launch. But there was my dad on my big night, alone in the crowd and proud as punch.
On a happy note, Dad inspired my love of music, and despite his efforts to teach the piano, it turned out the computer was my keyboard of choice. Writing Simmering Season, however, has allowed me to combine both passions and finally show Dad some of his amazing talent did manage to rub off. (At least I hope you agree something rubbed off when I release the Simmering Season song I wrote – the recorded version coming to a blog post soon!)