Exploring one of life's most valuable gifts
In honor of February's Black History Month observance, Language of Friendship has compiled several quotes from black leaders and artists who inspire us. We hope you'll add to the collection in the comments below! My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together. --Desmond Tutu If you find it in... Continue Reading →
No matter which candidate you voted for this week, chances are you had strong feelings about the election. Our politics have become so divisive in recent years that losing friends and cutting ties with family members has become relatively commonplace. At a time when many people are already suffering from social isolation, losing or damaging... Continue Reading →
Most people crave the feeling of belonging. A desire to create community and coalesce around a shared purpose is what has led to the lasting success of many community, university, and social organizations. Growing up, we find community in the classroom, experience shared victories on sports teams, and discover common interests in clubs. Then we... Continue Reading →
In our daily lives, we often interact with people in a service capacity – baristas, hair stylists, receptionists, or therapists – to name a few. We might not think much of these interactions at the start, but over time they can blossom into meaningful relationships. Friendly interactions with those in service roles are loose connections... Continue Reading →
September is National Suicide Prevention Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness of suicide risk and promoting resources for prevention. According to the CDC, “suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States,” and results in “one death every 11 minutes.” It is an overwhelming statistic, and suicide can seemingly occur... Continue Reading →
This month marks three years since Julia and I started this blog to explore topics related to friendship. So far, we've produced about 160 posts, a few of which have been republished by other outlets and one of which went viral. We have made a few podcast episodes and conducted one original survey. Our viewers... Continue Reading →
Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day, a national holiday started nearly 30 years ago to recognize and encourage expressions of kindness towards others. Scientific research backs up the value of kindness to both the person spreading it and the recipient, with an article from the fall of 2022 illustrating how meaningful randoms acts of... Continue Reading →
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