I’m on vacation! While I’m away, I thought it would be fun to hear from some of the products of this search firsthand. Here Ashley, one of my work BFFs, learns a lesson from our first meeting. And makes me blush.
I can’t remember the exact moment I met Rachel, but I’m certain of two things: I was in a cube and I was in a bad mood. Rachel came to work at the same company as me about four years ago. I had already been there for a couple years, and her first day happened to be my first day in a new (and stress-inducing) position. On top of starting my new job, I had just learned my father had cancer. I was your proverbial train wreck—overwhelmed, scared and certainly not looking for a new friend.
Anyone else in the world would have seen my sour-faced self and run the other way, but not Rachel. She did all the things a good work friend should—she listened to me vent, sent me important EW.com links and walked with me to lunch. And the day before my dad was scheduled to go in for his big surgery, Rachel wrote me one of the nicest, most encouraging emails I’ve ever received.
She won me over big time.
Rachel and I no longer work together, but we’ve grown incredibly close. In fact, I recently introduced her to another good friend of mine by saying, “This is Rachel. We’re basically obsessed with each other.” And…we kind of are. {Editor’s Note: It’s true!} We chat daily about everything from our careers and personal lives to the new yogurt shop around the corner and how amazing Neil Patrick Harris is (I mean, seriously. Is there nothing that man can’t do?).
I recently started a new job (sadly, without Rachel), and I’m constantly sending her important updates: “No one is talking to me,” “Two people just talked me,” “OMG, they have free Diet Coke here!” I’ve yet to find a new work BFF, but I think I should take a page out of Rachel’s book and just make it happen. I guess you never know…that sour-faced girl in the next cube could become one of your closest friends.
MWF Seeking BFF 
Reading all of these makes me smile. I can’t wait until I have my first real teaching job and hoping that someone, somewhere will become a friend of mine instead of just the other teacher down the hall…
It also makes me ready for Rachel’s book to be out – especially if there are more stories like these 🙂
Ha! I laughed out loud when I read this. I’m the “sour-faced” girl. I remember one friend telling me that she would have approached me earlier in school had I not looked mean.So yes…do not give up on the “sour-faced” girl. I can attest that half the time the sour-face is not anything related to a foul mood. For me, I’m likely to be deep in thought.
I agree with Tonya, a sour face sometimes is just someone deep in thought. I’ve been accused of being a grump when I was just deep in thought. But, this look may be effecting my ability to make friends since I really don’t have any after working at the same place for the past twelve years.