A friendship for life, isn’t that a wonderful thing! Still, keeping kindergarten friends with you throughout your life is far from self-evident. This is the case for Ria. We wanted to know all about it!
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We speak with 77-year-old Ria from Zoetermeer. She lives in the Palenstein district. Her husband died ten years ago. With him she had four children and nine grandchildren. Ria has had a new partner for four years now. ‘A very sweet one,’ she says with a laugh. This relationship started through Ria’s club of friends. “Friend Lia linked her brother to me. As a result, in addition to a partner, I also gained two bonus children and grandchildren!” In addition to her large family, Ria has a close circle of friends. She meets every two to three months with no less than thirteen friends, whom she knows from her childhood.
At school with the nuns
Ria went to school in the Dorpsstraat, where the Smaak & Vermaak restaurant is now located. “I lived in the Molenstraat myself, so it was a half hour walk to school.” Ria still has vivid memories of her childhood. ”It was especially great playing and ‘freubling’, as we always called it. We folded papers, made doilies and drawings. It was very nice!” Yet there was not only fun in the classroom, because Ria was taught by the nuns and they were quite strict. “If you didn’t listen, you got punished.”
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Nicholas School
After kindergarten, Ria went to the Nicolaasschool, opposite the kindergarten. “I spent the rest of my primary school days there. Almost all my classmates from kindergarten went to the same school. I was in a class with only girls, because at that time boys and girls were still strictly separated. We had lessons on different floors, walked to the church separately from each other and even had a separate playground.” Strict rules also apply at the Nicolaas School. “You had to go to church every day before school. This was recorded in a booklet. At the end of the week, everyone was read how many times they had been to church.” Sometimes Ria rebelled against the rules at school. “I remember that I once had to stand in the hallway as a punishment. I didn’t feel like it, so I just walked home. Then, of course, I got even more punishment,” Ria recalls.
Boys and girls were strictly separated
Friends for life
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After school, Ria and her friends all go their separate ways. Everyone had a busy life of their own. Many of us got married, moved or started working.” Ria still stays in close contact with a number of friends. My best friend was Willie. From an early age we played together at home and outside on the street. Later we met again on the work floor and we became good friends again. She was also part of our big group of friends. Unfortunately she passed away a few years ago.”
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The Great Reunion
That large group of friends, of fourteen friends, how did it come about? That explains Ria. ”It all started when a reunion of our primary school was organized. Two of my old friends, Annie and Corrie, organized that. This was in 1996, the year we all turned fifty. It was very nice to see each other again, even our old teacher Juffrouw Vollebregt was there!” A new ‘school photo’ was also taken during the reunion.
Twenty-seven years
Since that reunion, now 27 years ago, the fourteen friends are again a big part of each other’s lives. They see each other every two or three months, always at someone else’s house. “It almost never happens that someone cancels. Everyone is doing their best to be there.” It is quite special that the contact has been maintained for so long and consistently. Especially since the women now live all over the country. “There is someone from Pijnacker, from Berkel and even from Almere.”
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The ingredients of a friendship
Of course, a group of friends like this doesn’t just last. What does Ria think is the secret of their decades-long friendship? ”Be attentive to each other and pay attention. Send a card if someone is sick or struggling. And it is also important to let everyone in their own value.” Friend Nel, who also joins the conversation, can confirm this. “Continuing to show interest in each other is very important. Nowadays we have a group app, which is also very nice.” And a handy tip of a practical nature: ”We immediately agree on a new date during our appointment. Everyone immediately puts it in the agenda. This way we know for sure that we will see each other again soon!”
Do you also have a nice story about friendship?
Do you also have a special story? Or do you know a Zoetermeer that we really need to interview? Let us know at [email protected]. Many Zoetermeer residents preceded you.