Exploring one of life's most valuable gifts
Although living in one area for the past several decades has helped me to build and sustain many local friendships over time, I was reminded by a recent dinner with a friend I met in Germany more than 30 years ago that lasting bonds can be formed in a relatively short time. When I moved... Continue Reading →
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were among the famous friends on our radar when Julia and I first started brainstorming ideas for the Language of Friendship back in 2021. We found their story interesting because these two high school buddies have remained friends personally and collaborators professionally over the decades, despite their fame. We also... Continue Reading →
Father’s Day is this weekend, an annual celebration of the dads and father figures who shape our lives. There are many ways to recognize the everyday heroes who quietly helped raise us, and then guide us through adulthood. For me and Sara, we’ve shared in our writing the impact our own dads have on our... Continue Reading →
Women's sports are having a moment. Along with over 14 million people, I witnessed Iowa’s victory over UConn in the recent Women's NCAA Final Four tournament. It was the most-watched women’s basketball game of all time and the largest audience ever for an ESPN basketball broadcast. As the daughter of a proud Iowa alum, it... Continue Reading →
In honor of this final day of Women’s History Month in 2024, I would like to share more of our friendship history; a history of two women that spans more than four decades and relocations to new states and a different country. People are sometimes surprised that the friendship between me and Sara has not... Continue Reading →
When life gets busy, it can be hard to pause and find joy in the small things. It’s easy to assume that something new will bring us happiness, but as Sara wrote in an earlier post, more stuff doesn’t lead to happiness or fulfillment. And we’ve all experienced how the glow that comes from a... Continue Reading →
One of my favorite holiday traditions in Chicago is visiting the Christmas Around the World and Holiday of Lights exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. When my boys were young, we’d bring them to see the dozens of Christmas trees decorated to represent cultures around the world. While we loved seeing all of the trees, we’d... 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 →
My favorite two board games when I was a kid were Battleship and Clue. I’d play either one with anyone who was willing to join me. Both games encouraged not only logical reasoning skills, but they also involved imagination and conversation among players. As a parent, I taught my kids to play Battleship and Clue.... Continue Reading →
Language of Friendship 