DEAR HARRIETTE: When I went home for the Thanksgiving, I got together with old high school friends. It was so much fun. We haven’t gotten together for years. Three of us hung out for hours and had the best time. We agreed that we will do it more often in the future. Time flies so quickly that it can be hard to make time, though. I live five hours away and generally come home only twice a year. Typically, I spend all my time with my family. Since it was nice to see them this time, I’m considering visiting them each time, but I don’t want to make that promise. Do you think I will seem uninterested if I don’t visit every time? It had been 10 years since we’d seen each other. -- Making Time for Friends, Little Rock, Arkansas
DEAR MAKING TIME FOR FRIENDS: You do not have to go from zero to 100 miles per hour in rekindling these friendships. Be practical, and do not overpromise. Instead, keep your family as your priority. Manage your friends’ expectations by letting them know before you head home whether you think you can get together. This way you can have peace of mind and manage your newly rekindled friendship with ease rather than a feeling of overwhelming responsibility.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)