Exploring one of life's most valuable gifts
Enjoying a delicious meal with a friend is not merely one of life's great pleasures; it can also be an important outlet for reducing stress, fostering social connection and making heathier food choices. According to a recent survey by the American Heart Association, 67% of respondents reported that eating with others reminded them how important... Continue Reading →
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 →
Photos of the New Year's Eve party at Oprah Winfrey's house have been showing up all over the Internet in the past few weeks, and of course Gayle King appeared in many of them. The well-documented friendship between these two world-famous women has thrived over the decades. In one of our earliest LOF posts, I... Continue Reading →
January has become one of my favorite months. The frenetic pace and stress of the holidays has ended and the days are finally starting to lengthen, if just a bit. It’s also time for fresh starts. I’ve found that when I view January with a sense of possibility, it allows me to prioritize what I... Continue Reading →
One of my favorite holiday traditions in Chicago is visiting the Christmas Around the World and Holiday of Lights exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. When my boys were young, we’d bring them to see the dozens of Christmas trees decorated to represent cultures around the world. While we loved seeing all of the trees, we’d... Continue Reading →
Last weekend I flew from Chicago to Washington, DC, for a 36-hour visit with family. Some might find quick trips like this one to be stressful, but it felt restorative for me. I spent time with my mom and younger siblings, and I returned to a place that still feels like home. Although my family... Continue Reading →
Any time of year is a perfect time of year to savor friendships, but the holiday season offers a wealth of opportunities to create memories together with friends. Recognizing that schedules can be challenging to coordinate as the holidays approach, this week we share a variety of ideas for honoring friendships this season. 1.... Continue Reading →
While November signals the start of the holiday season for most people, here at Language of Friendship, we tend to think of November as birthday season. Sara shared last year that our LOF editorial team, and even her dog Winnie, all have birthdays within the same week! And despite how busy life gets, birthdays provide... Continue Reading →
When Sara and I launched this blog in early 2021, pandemic-disrupted friendships and everyday connections fueled our desire to write about the importance of friendship. Nearly three years later, life has mostly returned to ‘normal.’ While normal enables us to gather in person and hop on airplanes to celebrate milestones, normal can also be very... Continue Reading →
There are no words to capture the many emotions we've all been experiencing since learning about the savage attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas last weekend. But in processing this, I am acutely aware of the importance of supporting each other as we collectively experience this unfolding crisis with thousands of innocent lives lost throughout... Continue Reading →
Language of Friendship 