What a neon knitted hat taught me about making new friends

A few weeks ago, a parcel containing a very brightly coloured woolly hat landed on my doormat and it wasn’t even my birthday. I was not only very excited (who doesn’t want a neon pink hat?) but also very touched because the friend who made it for me wasn’t one I’ve known for years, she was someone I’d only actually met once.

The other week I shared a funny meme where one person asks the other if they can be friends, the other person responds saying no as they already have four. In some ways, I get that, especially in this day and age when we’re all on the go so much and are expected to respond to everyone’s Whatsapp messages immediately, but I’ve been on a bit of a winning streak with making new friends in the last few years. I’ve had some brilliant experiences with them that I wouldn’t have had if I’d closed myself off to new friends. 

I also wouldn’t have got an amazing new hat courtesy of the legend that is Lindsay, who I met at the writing course and who I’ve stayed in touch with ov…