Exploring one of life's most valuable gifts
In September 2011, everything around me was changing. In the span of a few months, I had given notice at work, packed up my family to move from Chicago to the suburbs, and switched my boys from daycare near work to preschools in our new community. These were all big changes designed to create some semblance of calm in our family, following the start of my older son’s near daily mix of occupational, speech and play therapy after his diagnosis of... Continue Reading →
One of the first books on our reading list when we started the research process for LOF was Lydia Denworth’s latest work, Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond. This sweeping compilation of the emerging science behind our basic human need to connect fascinated us and inspired us to continue laying the foundation for our... Continue Reading →
In my senior year of college at Northwestern University, I shared a dilapidated off-campus house in Evanston with a group of close friends. All of us had arrived at college from other parts of the country, but we’d been friends for four years now. We became like family that year, sharing meals, study sessions and... Continue Reading →
Launching a podcast became an integral part of our goal in creating this site. This first episode is our inaugural attempt to introduce our ideas and also to figure out the software to make it work. How'd we do? We are always looking for feedback, ideas and stories to feature in future episodes, so be... Continue Reading →
When Sara and I decided to develop a blog on the topic of friendship, we were only vaguely aware of the scientifically proven link between friendships and physical health. As we dove into books covering this subject, one unexpectedly wonderful read we discovered was Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World, written by Vivek Murthy, MD. In this well-written and engaging book, Dr. Murthy vividly makes the case for... Continue Reading →
It was now the late days of 1987. I had about two weeks left of winter break before I had to head back up North for the second half of my freshman year. The younger siblings I had been excited to see after months away at school were wearing on my nerves. I had talked... Continue Reading →
“Connection is why we’re here. We are hardwired to connect with others, it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering.” Brené Brown My sister gave me Brené Brown’s bestselling book Daring Greatly a few years ago as a gift. I wasn’t sure if she was trying to tell... Continue Reading →
George Clooney is one of those superstars who are almost as entertaining to learn about off the screen as they are to watch in movies. He has a playful way of interacting with interviewers and a practical joker personality, so news about him is often amusing one way or another. I recently saw a clip... Continue Reading →
Julia and I can’t pinpoint exactly when we first met, although she thinks she remembers hearing my name when she was the new kid in sixth grade at James Lane Allen Elementary School in Lexington, Ky. That would’ve been in 1981, and she had just moved with her family from Arlington, Virginia. Ten years earlier, my family had moved south from Philadelphia into our first tiny house in Lexington’s Gardenside neighborhood when I was two years old, and I had attended James Lane... Continue Reading →
The Language of Friendship is an idea my friend Julia and I cooked up to explore the concept of friendship together. We have been in each other’s lives for so long that we can hardly remember a time when we didn’t know each other. We simply can’t imagine what life would be like for us... Continue Reading →
Language of Friendship 