My first full-time job as a journalist was as a staff photographer in Independence (Kansas, not Missouri).

I was in a new corner of the state, with few peers my own age. Slowly, I began to meet people in our rural Kansas town.

A fast favorite was my church’s quilting group. I don’t even remember how I stumbled into the church basement one morning, but it was one of the most unexpected blessings of my life. The ladies met once a week to quilt, talk and enjoy tasty snacks. I quickly learned to estimate when snack time was. These ladies were amazing cooks! The sweets they would bring in were divine.

Inevitably, I’d show up late for quilting circle. I would put a few stitches into the quilt, and it would be snack time. Eventually, the ladies would see me coming and say, “It must be snack time, Karen is here!”

They weren’t wrong. Until that point, most of my friends were my classmates or similarlyaged peers. I didn’t spend time with anyone several decades my senior.

The quilting circle at St. Andrew was certainly a turning point.

I had the opportunity to meet, listen, learn and befriend the group. It was a pattern and lesson I carried from that point forward.

I wouldn’t say I purposefully seek out friends older than I am. It just naturally happens. Many of my peers are in the thick of child-rearing with me. I will see friends at activities, but much of my recreation is with friends who are 60 and above.

I value my peer group, but also friends with more life experiences.

With my friends who are in their 60s, 70s and beyond, I’m able to listen and learn from their ups and downs.

One of my bicycling friends shared the journey of navigating the loss of one of his children at a young age. “I wish I advocated more for them,” he told me.

This deeply resonated with me, and I think of that conversation often.

Another friend is a former colleague. While she is retired and lives in another state, she will check in on me from time-to-time. I have the benefit of asking about career trajectory, but also about how to approach situations with aging parents or in-laws. The advice she shares with me is invaluable, and not knowledge some of my friends in their 40s necessarily have at this point.

The friendship of my older friends, coupled with those who have known me from childhood, helps me navigate a plethora of situations. I was talking with one of my childhood friends recently about a situation, and she called me on the carpet.

If I were to tell my 16-year-old self I would consider people 20 or more years older than I to be close friends, I’m sure I would have scoffed.

Yet, I remain thankful for the diversity of individuals who cross my path and extend kindness, friendship and wisdom.

Bonar is the editor/publisher of the I-R and can be reached at kbonar@indyrepnews. com.