Sharing the Burden with One's Friend

As someone who works in a solitary way, sitting at a computer, with the occasional conference call or offsite meeting, I really savor the connections that come often by chance with other people.  Last night walking in the neighborhood I ran into a friend I hadn't really spoken to in a while.  Standing there as the dusk deepened into night and a chill ran through the air, it wasn't really enough time to be truly supportive, to share our deepest thoughts and anxiety about work, life, kids.  But it was just enough to feel a little less isolated and a little more connected.  I struggle with reaching out, picking up the phone and being the ringleader.  Instead I sit at home and read or watch French movies which gives me some vicarious feeling of the joi de vivre.  With my daughter abroad the phone rings rarely and I realize I need to make more of an effort.  I received a lovely note today, thanking me for stuff I had done for Sisterhood.  That is a form of friendship, and one I can do more of.   Tonight meeting friends at a local concert and then tomorrow night, recipient of an extra ticket from another friend for a concert at the snazzy Nokia theater.  The question is how do I engage in a way with these friends to build stronger bonds, let them get to know me better without just complaining.  Because what truly do I have to complain about.  I have not had the major illnesses, life changing events like divorce, traumatic kid challenges of so many of my friends.  Yes, there are ways and days I would like to be just a wee bit more blessed, but for now it is enough.  There are all those Facebook friends where I can enjoy the happy occasions in others lives, their special pictures of prom, and graduation and weddings.  I can click like and feel that I have provided support knowing full well this is not true support.  True support is cooking meals for someone who is ill or driving someone to the doctor who can no longer drive.  This is a form of friendship as well.  I have more friends activities planned on Saturday ( three nights in a row with music and friends), and then comes my anniversary dinner on Sunday, with my best friend of all.  One of the reasons, I don't reach out more to other people is we, my husband and I are a self-contained unit and we aren't unhappy with this arrangement.  After 3 nights of being social with others it will be great to just relax and be just the two of us.  In celebration of friendship, am going to jot off a quick note to my friend Jean.  We have known each other since 6th grade, and it is amazing and great that we are still in touch and manage to get together every couple of years.  So this week, going to find friendship by being a friend, and looking for ways to reach out.