Welcome to Day 18 of our Giving Thanks project. Yesterday we celebrated the magic of music and how it impacts and informs so many parts of our life. I’ll be listening to music when I finish this post and get my yoga on. If you missed that post, you can find it here: Music Rocks.
Today is a super special day of Giving Thanks. I’d like to take a moment and reflect on the good friends in our life. I’m talking about the real friends, the ones who are with you through thick and thin, the ones who always have your back, the ones who know you better than you know yourself. I think it’s far more important to have a few good friends than an army of fair-weather friends. I am blessed to have a handful of really good friends in my life. We don’t talk every day. We may not see each other often, but when we do, we pick up right where we left off.
“A good friend is like a four-leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have.” Irish Proverb
Beyond the social and emotional benefits of having strong friendships, there are numerous health benefits as well. According to Live Science, friendships may extend your life. People who have strong social relationships are less likely to die prematurely than people who are isolated. In fact, according to a review of research, the effect of social ties on life span is twice as strong as that of exercising and equivalent to that of quitting smoking.
“Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer. ” – Ed Cunningham
I encourage you to take a few moments today to check in with the good friends in your life. Send them a text, give them a call, Facetime them, write them a letter, whatever works for you. Let them know how much they mean to you. Good friends are rare, so treat them with loving care.
Until next time, keep looking for the goodness around you.
With gratitude –
Denise 🙂