We often think of support as something that happens in one direction, with the strong helping someone who is struggling. For someone who’s always seen themselves as the strong one, accepting support can be a challenge. Yet when two people in need help each other, both may experience a much-needed boost. I witnessed this dynamic... Continue Reading →
5 Years of Inspiring Friendship
Five years ago, Sara and I started languageofriendship.com to explore the concept of friendship and to inspire others to put friendship at the center of their lives. Back in 2021, nearly a year into the Covid-19 pandemic, getting together with friends was taking a back seat to health and safety concerns for many people. Social... Continue Reading →
Quiet Season
As Sara wrote last week, winter has a way of narrowing our worlds, with cold days and dark nights making cozying up on the sofa with a blanket preferable to venturing out. I also find this season invites reflection. While I’ve settled into a post-holiday routine, I’m still thinking about the year ahead and how... Continue Reading →
Friends Across the Oceans
February will mark five years since the first Language of Friendship blog post, when Sara and I decided to write about friendship and its impact on our lives. With this anniversary approaching, I find myself reflecting on how valuable and diverse my friendships are. We make our first friends early in life, before we can... Continue Reading →
Embracing the Darkest Months
January is a tough month in most of the U.S. Not only is it cold and dark when I start and end my commute each day, but the return to work or school after a holiday break is just hard. Over the years, I’ve relied on a few coping techniques, such as working out more... Continue Reading →
Reflecting With Gratitude
As we mark the final weekend of 2025, most of us are looking forward to 2026 and setting new goals while trying to put the challenges of 2025 behind us. But before we turn the page on the year, we’d like to reflect and share and some things that inspired us this year. While 2025... Continue Reading →
Gifting on a Budget
With so much commercialization around the holidays, it can be hard to remember what makes this time of year truly meaningful – savoring connections and feelings of gratitude for the special people in our lives. At Language of Friendship, we’ve found that gift giving can be both enjoyable and memorable, especially with personal touch. Sara... Continue Reading →
Putting Gratitude into Action
Last weekend Sara wrote about how practicing gratitude positively impacts our well-being. The recent Thanksgiving holiday served as an opportunity to notice the good, and it helps ground us in appreciation. But gratitude doesn’t have to stop at reflection; it can also be a good motivation for action. Reflecting on the many things we are... Continue Reading →
Honoring Veterans
The company where I work, Abbott, sponsored a Veterans Day event on Tuesday that focused on the 25th anniversary of the release of the documentary film They Drew Fire. The film told the story of artists sent to the front in World War II to create art that would help sell U.S. war bonds. In... Continue Reading →
Helping Our Planet Together 🌍
When it comes to saving our planet, there's no need to wait until spring when Earth Day or World Water Day are recognized. Making sustainable choices should be a year-round commitment, and even small efforts can lead to meaningful impact. At the same time, we all know how hard it can be to create new... Continue Reading →