Exploring one of life's most valuable gifts
“Plant the garden of your life with friendship’s lovely flowers.”Unknown Spending my childhood in Virginia and Kentucky, I grew to love the many beautiful flowers and trees in my yards. Our house in Arlington was lined with colorful azalea bushes, and I found comfort in the dogwood and magnolia trees with their trusty blooms each... Continue Reading →
Looking back on the trajectory of girls’ participation in sports this Women’s History Month, we are amazed at how things have changed since Title IX was enacted 50 years ago. Sara shared in an earlier post that we were part of the first girls’ soccer team at our high school back in the 1980s, when... Continue Reading →
“Adulthood is too serious. I miss stupid. I need stupid. Being stupid with your friends is guaranteed happiness.” Billy Baker Reaching out to friends is a central theme of Billy Baker’s 2021 book, We Need to Hang Out. Baker is a Boston Globe staff writer who was asked by his editor a few years ago to... Continue Reading →
This weekend marks a year since we began our Language of Friendship journey. From the start, our goal has been to encourage people to pay more attention to the meaningful friendships in their lives and to nurture them with the love and care they deserve. While Language of Friendship has not exactly gone viral or... Continue Reading →
Last Sunday I returned from a 4-day gathering with extended family in Colorado to mark my brother’s milestone birthday. I had looked forward to this weekend for months as I rarely get several days with my siblings and cousins without kids in tow, and I love the outdoors. All ingredients for a fun getaway, except... Continue Reading →
Brené Brown seems to be everywhere these days. She’s written five #1 New York Times bestsellers and appeared in her own Netflix special. She hosts two popular podcasts and has an 8-episode series in the works with HBO Max. Clearly, the Houston-based shame and vulnerability researcher has tapped into a public need to hear what... Continue Reading →
"The willingness to show up changes us. It makes us a little braver each time." Bréne Brown Near midnight December 10th, a powerful tornado tore through an area of Western Kentucky, destroying homes a quarter-mile from where my childhood friend Michele’s mom lives. With sudden, devastating loss like this, our natural inclination is to help,... Continue Reading →
When my sister and I were growing up, our mom strongly encouraged us to get involved in causes and communities that were meaningful to us. For my mom, helping others was important, but she also knew that the act of giving results in many clear benefits for the giver as well. My mom's views on... Continue Reading →
I recently saw a meme that read "Happy 2020too." We so eagerly toasted the end of 2020, yet 2021 ushered in more pandemic-related restrictions, and for many of us, more loss. As we start 2022, we hope that you, like us, are finding reasons to be grateful. First and foremost, the lingering impact of the... Continue Reading →
Regardless of your holiday tradition, the end of the year always feels like a festive time. Most people are in pretty good spirits, the decorations are abundant and the holiday lights during the short days of sunlight are inspiring. Even so, not everyone loves the holidays, and Covid times have certainly added to a general... Continue Reading →
Language of Friendship 