Ever since they were first matched several months ago, Pooja Agarwal and Peter McIntyre have looked forward to lively discussions over Zoom every Friday afternoon. While video calls can feel like a headache for many, Peter and Pooja have found theirs to be a perfect way for their friendship to grow. Through their commitment to something as simple as a weekly conversation, Peter and Pooja have built a meaningful connection.
In her day-to-day life, Pooja is a cognitive scientist, published author, and Associate Professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. After moving to Brookline, Pooja first learned about FriendshipWorks through a neighbor. Throughout her life, she had always connected well with older adults, and she had been recently seeking a way to get involved in her new neighborhood. With a little bit of research, Pooja thought Friendly Visiting with FriendshipWorks was a great program to explore.
Peter has been a participant in Friendly Visiting for over eight years now, and he may be a familiar face from other FriendshipWorks stories and videos. He learned about FriendshipWorks in its early days, and he eventually started looking for a match in hopes of finding a weekly walking buddy. You see, Peter has managed to outlive most of his family members and his remaining relatives do not live in the area. Prior to Pooja, Peter had two matches who each brought something uniquely special to his life. With Pooja, it’s been no different. Through each weekly conversation, their friendship has only grown stronger. “It’s a very dynamic friendship,” Peter expresses. “There are so many different things that interest us both and we’re able to share what we’ve discovered online or elsewhere.”
Peter and Pooja consistently find ways to connect while apart, and their friendship is much deeper than a weekly time commitment. During her recent travels across England, Pooja visited the Blenheim Palace. After seeing the Willis Organ, she immediately took a picture to send to Peter, who counts the instrument as one of his many interests. At that moment, Pooja thought to share the experience with Peter just as she would with any other friend. To Pooja, their connection is natural and their conversations never feel like small talk. She explains, “It doesn’t feel like I’m checking in on an older adult— I’m just having a fun conversation with a friend once a week.”
During their calls, Pooja appreciates how they feel free to talk about anything and everything, and they rarely focus on past historical events. “I’ve never asked him about what World War II was like, or what the Cuban Missile Crisis was like,” Pooja says. “I really enjoy how our natural conversations come up, and they’re often about current events.” Topics can range from family stories and pet anecdotes, to discussions of music and politics. While they both enjoy sharing fond memories, Peter and Pooja especially cherish getting to know each other in the present.
For both Peter and Pooja, their first time meeting in-person prominently stands out as a day they will both remember. In May 2024, they attended FriendshipWorks’ Annual Walk to End Elder Isolation together. They had both attended Walks in the past separately, but this one felt special. Not only were they able to meet for the first time, but they also could lean on each other as they met new people. “We had a wonderful time,” Peter says. “Both of us felt confident and outgoing, so it made a world of a difference to have her there.”
From the Zoom calls to the Walk, Peter and Pooja have cherished getting to know each other no matter the setting. They’re looking forward to many more laughs and exciting conversations as they plan to spend more time together in-person in the near future.
