I was on a date earlier this week and for some reason we started talking about lost friendships. I realized then, as I was talking to her, that I lost three friendships in quick succession over a year ago. There was the girl that broke my heart, my straight girl crush (that I won’t get into for the sake of everyone) and my spirit animal. It was not a great date subject because it was just profoundly sad. I lost three people dear to my heart in a little over two months.

I’ve read several articles lately that claim that you stop making new friends in your late twenties (Like #1 on this list). You’re supposed to settle in with the ones you have and grow old together. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely love my friends and plan to grow old with them. I was just never good at following directions. I meet new people and I meet them often. But it is not lost on me that this late in life (I’m 27 so it’s not that late), it’s a lot harder to develop the bonds are so easily grown in high school or college.

That’s when it dawned on me… Call it God, call it karma, call it a blessing, call it whatever you want but I have found three new soul mate friends in the past year or so.

First, there’s Amy, who, surprisingly, replaces another lesbian named Amy. We had one of those moments earlier this year where she called me her best friend for the first time and we both just kind of stopped and stared at one another. That’s really a big deal when someone calls you their best friend for the first time. Our bond had probably been that strong for a while but someone finally said it aloud and it was a beautiful, beautiful moment.

My friends refer to her as “good Amy” because she happened to replace a “bad Amy” and since she’s a lesbian as well, there are only so many descriptors you can use. And she really is a good person. Probably one of the nicest, most kindhearted individuals I’ve ever met. I absolutely love her with all of my heart.

Then, there’s the new straight girl in my life, Lake. I don’t have a straight-girl-crush on her but that’s good for the both of us. We met at a dinner party at Amy’s. It was one of those moments where you just instantly click with a person. By the end of the dinner party, you would never know that Lake and I hadn’t known each other before that night. It was such an instantaneous connection.

I went to Mexico with Lake in June. We had known each other for less than a year at that point. It was a fantastic trip. Nothing like traveling to see if you really get along with someone. As soon as I arrived, Lake took me to get a margarita as big as my face. She knows me so well…

Finally, there’s my new spirit animal, Enoch. He was seeing this girl and she walked up to me the first time I met her and goes, “Is it true?”

“Is what true?”

“The way you met. Is that a true story?”

So I told her how we met. I was dating one of those girls I felt some feels for and she wanted to introduce me to her best friend Suzanna. Suzanna came over to my house and within an hour of meeting me said, “You have to meet Enoch. I’m pretty sure you two were separated at birth.” So we met. And it was love at first nerdy joke.

We didn’t hang out right after that but I had gotten his number and texted him a year later, asking him to come hang out with me for Pride. He agreed and we spent the whole day together. That was our first full day together but it wasn’t our last.

The girl he was dating just said “So it is true!” because Enoch and I evidently tell the story the exact same way. Because it is true… and beautiful.

So again, call it God, call it karma, call it a blessing, call it whatever you want… It doesn’t really matter what you call it. I just know I’m a lucky person to have found these individuals and I’m happy that I’ll be growing old with three more great friends.