Exploring one of life's most valuable gifts
When I was a kid, I lived for gymnastics. While other neighborhood kids were running around swinging bats and throwing balls, I was climbing door jams and forward-rolling my way across the living room until my mom enrolled me in classes. I loved learning how to front- and back-handspring down an expanse of open floormat... Continue Reading →
Reviews on Goodreads and other book-oriented websites are always helpful when I'm trying to choose my latest reading material, but we've said it before and we'll say it again: our best source for discovering interesting and enjoyable books is always through word of mouth. Friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and other connections are great sources of... Continue Reading →
February and love have been closely linked for nearly 2,000 years. In the 1960s we started recognizing February as American Heart Month, and in recent decades, libraries jumped on the theme of the month, declaring February 'Library Lovers Month'. I discovered this lesser-known milestone on a recent visit to my town’s public library. As I... Continue Reading →
When Sara and I began researching the topic of friendship prior to launching our blog in early 2021, there were seemingly few books on the subject. We read Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s groundbreaking book, Together, about the loneliness epidemic in our country, and interviewed author Lydia Denworth about her book on the science of friendship.... Continue Reading →
I recently finished reading Kristin Hannah's fascinating new book "The Women" after it was recommended by a neighbor who had served our country as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam when he was 21 years old. This neighbor is one of the kindest individuals I've ever met, and I was very interested in the book because... Continue Reading →
As much as I love to read, I never want to waste my limited leisure time reading books that are not my cup of tea. I want to be sure I'm going to enjoy a new title before committing to spend time on it. The question is how to find books that I will love... Continue Reading →
March is National Reading Month in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday, and we hope you are smack in the middle of a book you enjoy. A few months ago, Julia wrote about how reading can help us feel less alone by introducing us to others whose experiences resonate with our own. In his poem entitled... Continue Reading →
Any time of year is a perfect time of year to savor friendships, but the holiday season offers a wealth of opportunities to create memories together with friends. Recognizing that schedules can be challenging to coordinate as the holidays approach, this week we share a variety of ideas for honoring friendships this season. Â 1.... Continue Reading →
When Sara and I launched this blog in early 2021, pandemic-disrupted friendships and everyday connections fueled our desire to write about the importance of friendship. Nearly three years later, life has mostly returned to ‘normal.’  While normal enables us to gather in person and hop on airplanes to celebrate milestones, normal can also be very... Continue Reading →
Although reading is inherently a solitary activity, books can provide a strong foundation for conversation and connection with others. In one of LOF's earliest posts, I wrote about my own experience with a local book group. I also enjoyed facilitating a book group with a few other parents for my son and some of his... Continue Reading →
Language of Friendship 