The seasons are changing. I love living in a part of the world where there is fluctuation in temperature and daylight hours throughout the year. When sun’s out, fun’s out – I adore summer days and balmy evenings round the fire pit with friends. And I also love crisp, frosty mornings and cosy, hygge nights […]
As I have told people that I am writing a book about friendship, one of the common questions as I have described it has been, ‘What about me? I’m an introvert.’ My response is this. I am absolutely convinced that we all need great friends and that all my research has led me to believe that this is true wherever you sit on the scale of introversion/extraversion. Friendship might just look different.
‘I think I’ve just seen my sister for the last time.’
I did not know what to say in response as these words tumbled out of my best friend’s mouth. I think I got my arms around him in a hug before my face cracked in sadness. Less than a week later, Tammy died. Her funeral was last Thursday. Watching my friend grieve has been horrible, and yet, one of the greatest honours of friendship.
I caught up with Jamie yesterday. We’ve known each other for fifteen years and connect over like minded passions for Jesus, laughter and the occasional good whisky. I’d not seen him in almost a year but within minutes we picked up where we left off. Twenty four hours later I’m still smiling at the jokes and stories shared. There’s something spectacularly good about friends.
The friendship we were created for is under attack.
Friendship is one of God’s greatest inventions. My 9-year-old’s son’s day is made by a connection he makes in the playground. The embrace of a best mate can soothe all manner of sorrows. The company, encouragement, laughter, cheering, and weeping of my friends have seen me through life’s highest highs and lowest lows. And yet there are threats to friendship everywhere.
What can we do not just to celebrate the older generations in our lives, but make more effort to develop our friendships with those further down the road of life?
A hello can prevent a suicide.
The smallest gestures can have the biggest impacts.
I was recently interviewed by Nicola Morrison from Idea Magazine about The Best of Friends and my passion for friendship. Here is the interview in full…
Friendship is astonishingly powerful. It has profoundly positive effects on our mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Even if you eat badly, do no exercise and neglect other areas of your physical health, but have good friends, you will live longer than someone who is socially isolated.
For most of us, the Christmas season is a beautiful opportunity to stop at the end of a busy season, reflect, reset, be refreshed and renewed. But when it comes to our relationships, here are three more postures to consider.