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Friendship 101 Grief

Helping a Grieving Friend

One of the joys of friends is getting to experience life with them — we’re with them to cheer on their successes and share in their happiness. That also means one of the less fun parts of friendship is being there when our friends are in pain. And when a friend loses a loved one, […]

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Long distance friends

No Matter the Distance: Friendships Can Thrive Across the Miles

Question: How many of your friends live either a long drive, or a flight, away from you? The odds are that one, or more, of your dearest friends do not live in the same city, state or country that you do. But the distance doesn’t mean these friendships aren’t strong and thriving, because you truly […]

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Work friendships

Building Work Friendships — One Step at a Time

So many of us have a love-hate relationship with work. It brings us some combination of satisfaction, confidence, status, money. And, at the same time, stress, stress, and more stress — from feeling overworked or underappreciated. That’s just for people who basically like their jobs. (We won’t go down a rabbit hole of recrimination, unfairness, […]

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Acquaintances Friends Strangers

A Riddle: We Get a Fresh Supply Everyday Yet We Never Have Enough

Any guesses? Collectively, our survey repeatedly identified this as an obstacle to developing new friendships and maintaining existing ones. And the answer is (all together now…) time. Those 24 hours drain away fast. They’re parceled out to meet the demands of our roles and responsibilities at home and work (including commuting), with our family (both […]

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Science of friendship

Friends: You’re More Connected than You Think (It’s In the Genes)

Our introductions to new people are typically related to having something in common. Perhaps we work together, volunteer for the same organizations, have kids who go to the same schools, have traveled to the same places, etc. But, why do we remain acquaintances with some individuals, and develop friendships with others? There is evidence to […]