Friendships

Quality relationships and having fun with friends can make us happier and reduce stress. A good friend to talk to helps us cope with traumatic events. People with good support networks are physically healthier too, having lower blood pressure and less…

Have you ever taken a holiday with close girlfriends? I’ve read and heard stories about these kinds of shared-dream holidays that have gone spectacularly wrong. Disagreements emerged at every turn: where and what to eat…

As we journey down the road of life, I often wonder what lies ahead, just beyond that bend in the curve. We all know that our path is never quite straight, that there are bumps, curves, and roadblocks that constantly get in the way…

I graduated in 1973 from a small Catholic high school. I was young for my age, ill prepared to be rubbing elbows with girls who drove Jaguars and brand new Camaros to school, had streets named after their fathers and felt little to no use for me…

I was the friend that my close, long-time friend, let go. Fran and I met when our boys were preschool age, and in the same T-ball team. Years of meeting up for walks, coffee, and fun had come and gone. Even our husbands got along and enjoyed each other’s company…

“Go outside and play with your friends!” That was Mom’s clarion call to us kids back then when friendship was easier. When we were naive, tolerant, open to diversity, and had few boundaries. We were perfect friend-making machines…

Have you received more requests lately because you have retired, or work from home? People often think that since you are not going in to a 9 to 5 job, you are available to meet their needs. Have you been asked to make grocery and doctor trips…

We’re programmed to face chin up and cheerful into whatever life brings. The etiquette of our upbringing in the 50s and 60s warned that people don’t want to hear our problems, only to exchange pleasantries and move along…

Our relationships with others can make life a delight. If our lives are full of family and friends with whom we have a loving and fulfilling relationship, we have a treasure beyond price. When we’re sad, they can help us lift our spirits…

Developing friendships on foreign shores is an acid test of fortitude. Each time zone crossed takes you further into unchartered territory. Different languages. Tweaked cultural and social mores. You’ve transplanted yourself into a world…