July 30 2026

The Art of Making New Friends

Two years ago I wrote, No More Pretending, about my great-niece Maxley’s first camping trip to Fort Mountain State Park. A Week of Firsts celebrated new discoveries and new friends at the same park last fall. On both trips, I marveled at how easily she made new friends. This week was no different.

Before we’d even finished setting up camp, Maxley spotted a little girl next door. On our way to the lake, she introduced herself and asked Paisley if she wanted to be her friend. Six-year-old Paisley spent two hours at the lake with us, the rest of the evening at our campsite, and another two hours in my tiny house before her family pulled out the next morning.

Maxley invited nearly everyone at the lake to “play with her” or “be her friend.” Though she prefers girls her age, she played with girls and boys from two to fifteen. When one little girl said “no” to her invitation, it didn’t bother her one bit. She played with me for a few minutes, then looked for another playmate.

Spotting two children in the distance, she asked if she could play with them. We played with the seven- and twelve-year-old brothers until dinnertime. After dinner they, along with their mom and dog, joined us at our site until ten, ending the day with a quick marshmallow roast and goodnight hugs.

Now I make friends almost everywhere I go, but that was NOT the case when I was her age. Maxley blows six-year-old Joy out of the water when it comes to making friends. At her age, I was still hiding behind my mom’s skirt or tagging along with my much bolder, more confident ten-year-old sister, Cathy.

To Maxley, everyone she doesn’t know is simply a friend she hasn’t met yet. She expects people to say yes and easily shrugs off the no’s. Maybe that’s the art of making new friends.