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 →
Low-Key Plans
Every so often I get together with a group of 10 or so local friends for a night out. By the time we pick a date and a restaurant that everyone can agree on, numerous texts have flown back and forth. With the many logistics to sort through, we sometimes feel more annoyed than excited... Continue Reading →
Parent Friends
Becoming a parent is an experience that forever changes the landscape of friendships. Before parenting, most of us make friends at school, work and through shared interests. But once the first child arrives, hobbies can become memories. And in my case, any time not commuting or at work was spent parenting and attempting to stay... Continue Reading →
Going the Distance
Zoom calls, group chats and emails are hugely helpful when you are missing your friends in faraway places. They certainly provide faster and more complete forms of staying in touch than what we had in the old days, when audio calls or snail mail were our only methods of communication with geographically dispersed friends. We’ve... Continue Reading →
Pursuing Happiness
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 →
Reconnecting After a Pause
Time seems to pass so quickly that it's not hard to lose track of a friend that you don't see regularly. That's especially true if you're not one to rely on social media to maintain contact. My advice is never to worry about how much time has gone by and whether it's too late to... Continue Reading →
Black History Saturdays
this month I wanted to honor the work of my friend Kristi Williams in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Kristi is the founder of an organization called Black History Saturdays, which aims to supplement the education of black children in her community. Black history is American history; they're completely intertwined. Morgan Freeman I met Kristi last month when... Continue Reading →
Loving Our Hearts
February has long been associated with hearts. Valentine’s Day dates back centuries, with some origin stories going back as far as the 5th century. So, when former President Lyndon Johnson, a sufferer of heart disease, wanted to raise awareness about heart health, it’s fitting that he selected February to be heart month. In the fifty... Continue Reading →
A Legacy of Love and Friendship
A year well lived. Those words graced the front of the 2023 holiday card that my mom sent to dozens of friends and family members late last year. My mom, Wilma, always loved sending and receiving holiday cards and embraced the trend of cards filled with family photos and an update on the family milestones.... Continue Reading →
Happy 2024!🎆
On this last day of 2023, The Language of Friendship team would like to thank you for exploring friendship with us. Whether you've liked or commented on our posts, or even just quietly enjoyed them, we appreciate your companionship and look forward to continuing our journey with you. As we look ahead to 2024, we... Continue Reading →