Friends, old and new, and why we need them

Friends are the gifts we give to ourselves.

Why?

Because friends laugh at the same silly thing we do. Because they give us honest advice. Because they will be there for us, even if they are thousands of miles away. Because they celebrate with us when we are at our best, and still love us at our worst. Because we are human: we crave closeness, compassion, empathy, and connection.

I’m so grateful to have made a new friend: Cecelia. She is a friend of a friend. We met for lunch and chatted for over three hours.

Cecelia, my newest friend, and Denise

Keep your friends close. Stay in touch. Make the calls. Write the messages. The times spent with friends are immeasurable.

Life lessons: Make new friends at every opportunity. Introduce your friends to others. Learn from all your friends. Make friends of all ages and backgrounds. Life is so much better when shared with friends.

Then, if you’re truly lucky, your friends will become like your family… lovingly referred to as FRAMILY.

Cheers to my friends, life-long and new!

Denise and 104-yr old Franklin, my new friend

Stay well. Stay healthy. Stay positive.

Aloha🌺,

Denise