Exploring one of life's most valuable gifts
We often think of support as something that happens in one direction, with the strong helping someone who is struggling. For someone who’s always seen themselves as the strong one, accepting support can be a challenge. Yet when two people in need help each other, both may experience a much-needed boost. I witnessed this dynamic... Continue Reading →
Five years ago, Sara and I started languageofriendship.com to explore the concept of friendship and to inspire others to put friendship at the center of their lives. Back in 2021, nearly a year into the Covid-19 pandemic, getting together with friends was taking a back seat to health and safety concerns for many people. Social... Continue Reading →
As Sara wrote last week, winter has a way of narrowing our worlds, with cold days and dark nights making cozying up on the sofa with a blanket preferable to venturing out. I also find this season invites reflection. While I’ve settled into a post-holiday routine, I’m still thinking about the year ahead and how... Continue Reading →
The middle of January, one of our darkest months, seems like a fitting time for a national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He shined a bright spotlight on the systemic racial injustice and inequality suffered by Black Americans, leading to major societal changes including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting... Continue Reading →
January is a tough month in most of the U.S. Not only is it cold and dark when I start and end my commute each day, but the return to work or school after a holiday break is just hard. Over the years, I’ve relied on a few coping techniques, such as working out more... Continue Reading →
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 →
With Thanksgiving coming up this week, I am thinking about gratitude and how important it is to our mental and physical well-being. Julia's post about World Gratitude Day in September referenced an article published by Harvard Medical School discussing how practicing gratitude not only improves our mood but it also can extend our lives. Some... Continue Reading →
Breast cancer risk was a major topic of discussion at my annual appointment with my gynecologist earlier this year, and she recommended that I see a specialist. That sounded like overkill to me, because I keep up with my routine mammograms and breast exams, which have been healthy in the past. But a few months... Continue Reading →
Earlier this week as I walked out of my local Starbucks with my mobile order, I made eye contact with a driver pulling out of her parking space. We immediately smiled and waved, recognizing each other as colleagues from the two years I spent working for Northwestern University more than seven years ago. That moment... Continue Reading →
Every few seconds, someone around the world needs a blood transfusion. It might be due to an accident, during surgery, or even as part of cancer treatment. While medical innovations have led to everything from artificial limbs to devices that keep the human heart running, there’s still no true substitute for human blood. The first... Continue Reading →
Language of Friendship 