As beautiful as fall is in New England, and it is stunning, I sometimes feel a pang of sadness as the temperatures begin to cool. I know I'll miss some of the little things about the warm weather in the coming months, like leaving the house without a jacket, swimming outside and wearing sandals. Recent... Continue Reading →
Breast Cancer Awareness
You've probably noticed the symbolic pink ribbons on social media lately, a sure sign that Breast Cancer Awareness Month is here and getting attention. The more support and attention paid to breast cancer, the better. Statistics show that 1 in 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetimes.... Continue Reading →
Training Together
Fall’s arrival in Chicago is accompanied by many traditions. It’s a time to buy fresh apples from Michigan and watch the Chicago Cubs struggle to make the playoffs. One of my favorite fall traditions is cheering on the thousands of runners at the Chicago Marathon. This October marks the 46th running of the Chicago... Continue Reading →
Games Galore
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 →
Soundtrack of Friendship
I love music. All kinds of music. To the point that I am sometimes teased for how inconsistent my musical tastes are. I’m happy to listen to many genres, as they are meaningful in different ways. I’ll listen to the Oppenheimer soundtrack in the car with my older son, then arrive home to hear my... Continue Reading →
Summer Blues
Now that we're well into July, the heat is on and summer activities have kicked into high gear. At Language of Friendship, we've done our best to make the most of the warmer weather and get outdoors. Julia and I always look forward to this time of year and plan ahead for it. Because we... Continue Reading →
📊Survey Results: Friendship on the Job
The workplace is without a doubt an important source of meaningful social connection, and the friends we make at work have a clear positive impact on the way we view our jobs. In an informal survey conducted over the past few months by the Language of Friendship, a resounding 100% of our respondents said they... Continue Reading →
Supporting Mental Health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this year’s theme is More Than Enough. We live in a world dominated by social media showing curated lives of perfect families, love lives and job promotions. Comparing our lives to others can be damaging to our mental health, and building lives full of connection and acceptance is... Continue Reading →
A Friend In Need
By all accounts Monday, February 6th was shaping up to be a pretty good day. The temperature had warmed a bit over the weekend and most of the snow and ice had melted. By then, I was several months into a new routine, regularly commuting by train to Chicago for an interim university job. On... Continue Reading →
Celebrating Moms/Mother Figures
Mother’s Day is one of those holidays that elicits the range of emotions. Some people consider it a Hallmark holiday designed to pressure us into buying gifts, creating Instagram-worthy visuals and artificial moments. Others are reminded of painful losses, or relationships that never quite measured up to expectations. At the same time, those of us... Continue Reading →