We are almost through September already. It is hard to believe this COVID summer is behind us. In many ways, the summer seemed interminable, as we continued social distancing, and passed up many activities we might have enjoyed during any other summer. It does seem that COVID causes one day to roll right into the next, and then before you know it, a week, and even a month have passed. It is hard to know where the time went.

We continue to live with uncertainty. Will COVID cases spike this fall? When will there be a vaccine? What will the cool weather of autumn and the cold weather of winter bring? When will we ever be able to go back to normal? Will there be a normal, or as some say, will it be a new normal?

Our emphasis this month may seem far away from these coronavirus realities. We are focusing on the health benefits of friendship. But our friends have been one of the things that has kept us going. Even though we haven't been in the same physical space with them, many of us have kept connected through Zoom, Skype, and Facetime; through phone calls, e-mails, and texts. Think how much harder this all would be without our technology. Somehow, we have managed to stay connected, and in this pandemic, friendship has become all the more valuable.

And, of course, there are other viruses in addition to COVID-19. We are coming into flu and cold season, so we have included an article on what to do to prepare and prevent yourself from getting the flu. And because we often strive to bring a smile to the face of our readers, you will also find a touch of humor in this month's issue.

As we move into still another season under this pandemic, may you take solace in your friends, knowing that your connection to them is not only good for your spirit, but for you physical health as well. May you be reminded that we were created for one another. It is in entering into and celebrating the great human community under God that we find our deepest goodness.

In some ways it’s a no-brainer to say that friendships can support and improve your health. Of course, friends are good for you. Who would argue otherwise! But there is actual research to back up this assertion.

“It’s the time you waste for them that makes a friend a friend” read the words of an old folk song. What could that possibly mean? It seems counter intuitive! In our busy world, “time is money,” and wasting it seems wrong. Further, there are good psychological and health reasons for using time well to pursue friendships actively and intentionally, as we have seen in the preceding article. Friendships are useful.

While seasonal influenza (flu) viruses are detected year-round in the U.S., flu viruses are most common during the fall and winter. The exact timing and duration of flu season varies, but flu activity often begins to increase in October. Most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February although activity can last as late as May.