When I first started dating my husband Mark more than five years ago, one of the things that drew me in was how connected he remained to his closest college friends. They’d celebrated milestones, weathered difficult transitions, and somehow kept showing up for one another across decades. Their friendship story began more than 45 years... Continue Reading →
Reunited
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, I had a great exercise routine that was also very social. I went several times a week to a gym near my house and endured an intense class. When it was over, I would shmooze in the parking lot with my three good friends who were in the class as often... Continue Reading →
25th Anniversary of 9-11
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the deadliest terror attack in history. Nearly 3,000 people were murdered on Sept 11, 2001, and many more died and/or continue to suffer from the toxic aftermath and the recovery efforts that followed. Those of us who are old enough to remember that fateful day know exactly where we... Continue Reading →
Taking a Breather
The first time my friend Wendy asked me to take a cigarette break with her, we were 17 years old. We had only known each other a few weeks, and she knew I was not a smoker. I looked at her and laughed, but she rolled her eyes and said, "You don't have to smoke.... Continue Reading →
Lessons From Tracy
Earlier this month, I lost my beautiful friend Tracy to melanoma. Tracy and I met in the late 1990s through a mutual friend, and over the years, we shared the ups and downs of professional life, family dynamics, and travel adventures. Tracy was a person whose life radiated outward, continually widening her circle and bringing... Continue Reading →
Visiting Old Friends with Andrew McCarthy📚
If you were a teenager in the 1980s, chances are you were crushing on at least one of the members of the "Brat Pack," that intriguing group of actors that kept showing up in the hottest movies of that time: The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles and St. Elmo's Fire. Those movies are... 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 →
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 →
Discovery with Friends
When Julia and I visited Milwaukee a few weeks ago for our weekend away together, the final stop on our itinerary before we went our separate ways to travel home was The Milwaukee Art Museum. Julia had been there before, but I had only heard about it from friends and my husband, who swore it... Continue Reading →