Some stories begin in unexpected places -- even at the library craft table.

During our DIY Pressed Flower Bookmark program last year, two women sat down as strangers among scattered blooms, stickers and acrylic bookmarks waiting to be decorated. What neither of them knew then was that they were also beginning something far more lasting than a bookmark. Between laughter, conversation, and the realization of a mutual friend, a meaningful friendship begin to bloom.

Libraries have always been places where stories live, but sometimes the most meaningful stories are not the ones shelved in the stacks. Sometimes they unfold in meeting rooms filled with conversation. In moments of connection between people who may have otherwise never crossed paths. In small acts of community that blossom into something enduring.

After the program, one of the patrons from this newfound friendship shared a heartfelt reflection on Substack about meeting her now best friend at the Buckhead Library.

With her permission, we are honored to share her story below.

So, I made a friend at the library.

It turns out talking to strangers is (sometimes) okay.

Mar 23, 2026

 

 

Let’s talk about friendship. I often hear people talk about how hard it is to make friends as an adult — and in a lot of ways I agree — but today is about taking a moment to appreciate what can happen when you take a chance and step outside your comfort zone.

This weekend I’m in Chicago for my friend Rena’s wedding, and I’m sitting in a coffee shop in the Central Loop thinking about how I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t asked a random girl at the library if the seat next to her was taken.

Last April, I signed up for a bookmark making workshop at the Fulton County Public Library. I had recently gotten back into leveraging the library a lot more for checking out books, study sessions, and programming. I can’t remember exactly why I was on the website, but I happened to see that the Buckhead Branch was doing a DIY Pressed Flower Bookmarks workshop. I’m notorious for using a folded sticky note to keep track of where I’m currently immersed in a good book, so I thought this workshop would be the perfect way to upgrade my sticky notes and get creative. Little did I know it would also be where I’d meet my newest friend.

I don’t know about y’all, but I’m not one to throw around the “friend” title loosely. Over the past few years, I’ve been more intentional about naming relationships for what they are. Appropriately naming these relationships has been a helpful way for me to identify where they fit in my life. In other words, everyone isn’t my friend. Some people are my coworkers, classmates, colleagues, etc. — and there’s nothing wrong with that.

I arrived at the library pretty early for the event. It was on a Monday evening, so I was concerned about potentially getting stuck in rush hour traffic. The program took place in a multipurpose room at the front of the library. It’s a large, well-lit room with about ten two-seater tables set up in a U-shape. Get the picture? When I walked in, I was greeted by the lovely library associate who put the program together. Immediately to my right, I saw Rena sitting at one of the tables by herself.

There were two ways that this event could’ve gone for me. When I arrived, I was still one of the first people there, so there were a lot of empty tables. I could’ve walked up to one of the empty tables, sat my stuff down in one chair and then sat down in the other. I would’ve done my crafts, been cordial with others in the room, and gone back home with only my DIY flower pressed bookmarks. Nine times out of ten, this is exactly what I would’ve done.

But on that April day, I decided to step out of my comfort zone. I walked up to Rena and asked her if the seat next to her was taken. I didn’t approach her with the expectation that we’d become friends. It was more about me doing something different and choosing to engage with others instead of keeping to myself the entire time. After all, it was a small workshop and the people who were there clearly had some common interests.

Rena responded telling me that two of her friends were on their way. My fear of rejection is typically high, so before she finished, I was almost regretting putting myself into a position for her to reject my request to sit next to her. But as she was finishing her sentence, she excitedly welcomed me to sit with her and noted that her friends could sit at the table next to us.

As I sat down next to her, I pulled out my laptop so that I could prop my phone up and get some video clips of the workshop for a TikTok. We engaged in some small talk while we waited for her friends to get there, and we found out that we had a mutual connection. One of my coworkers, who I onboarded in her rotational program, turned out to be one of her friends. With that connection, we hit it off. We laughed, crafted, and exchanged socials. I told her and her friends about a Boba tea making program that I saw the library was planning to host the very next week in case they wanted to sign up for that too, and then we went our separate ways.

Turns out, the Boba tea program was just for kids (oops!), and Rena and I wouldn’t see each other again until June. We decided to grab dinner at Barcelona Wine Bar where we gathered for some tapas and trauma bonding. As we sipped on our red sangria and enjoyed our patatas bravas, we dove beyond the surface and crammed life’s past and present into a few hours on a West Midtown patio.

Officially friends. Me and Rena. All because we were in the same place at the same time one Monday evening, and we opened up to each other.

It’s crazy to think that we haven’t even known each other for a year, and later today I’ll be watching her get married to the love of her life. I’m so grateful to have gotten to know her since last spring.

So, next time you think about stepping outside of your comfort zone to introduce yourself to someone — let this be my way of encouraging you to do it. It may amount to nothing more than a cordial interaction, and that’s okay, or it could evolve into a friendship.

Until next time,

Ashli ❤️

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