Yesterday I got a chance to briefly chat with four friends. And, while those experiences were short (two in person, one FB and one on the phone) it reminded me how incredibly important those connections are to feeling happy.
First, I connected with our old nanny (an oh-so-important person in our lives). It was quick FB messaging about our upcoming day and the craziness of raising kids. It set the tone for my day! Then, I had lunch with one of my closest friends. It was at a bagel place – I only had 45 minutes. We connected, chatted about a few things and, as usual, we laughed out loud a number of times. Perfect!
Next, I talked to a friend while we were watching our boys play soccer. In between cheering them on, we caught up on the trials and tribulations of being a mom … as, as you might expect, we shared all the “intel” we could on the status of the girl/boy thing at school! Finally, my friend from NM called. She’s one of the best writers I know and is continually reassuring me that I am not failing miserably with this blog thing. I, in turn, try to take every opportunity I can to tell her how cool I think she is (she is super cool!)
Whether it’s at work, at home or among friends, building and maintaining relationships is one of the most important parts of life. I once read Vital Friends: The People You Can’t Afford To Live Without, in which the author, Tom Rath, analyzed friendships. I recall he found a number of things including that married people reported that in the marriage, friendship was five times more important than physical intimacy and that only 1 in 12 people reported that they felt engaged at work unless they had a “best friend” there. Not surprising, right?
I know you all are as busy as I am and finding time to get together is incredibly difficult (and stressful). But we also know that whatever the connection time is, if it feels authentic — there is nothing better. Last month I mentioned seeing a number of friends at back-to-school night. I hugged many people I hadn’t seen all summer … no big conversations … all it took was a quick hug and the mutual knowledge of the strength of the connection – we’ll find a time to catch up!
So, to all my friends (and that’s likely all of you reading this!) you are at the top of my list in terms of making my life/world a better place. Thank you so much! No wonder my kids are always wanting to hang out with their friends!!!!
Connect with a friend today!
theyearof50 