Friendship is the gift of presence, heart and clarity. To have a good friend and to be a good friend are two experiences that help define a well lived life.

When we are children there's an essence of freedom in our friendships. Not much thought is required. You just join in. By nature, it's spontaneous and all about having fun. Puberty complicates this when expectations, past experiences and peer pressure kick in. By the time we're adults, the weight of responsibility and time constraints can make maintaining friendships or creating new ones a challenge. Over time, this can lead to loneliness.

I've learned over the course of my many varied friendships:

• It's enough to just be me
• It's important to grow
• Effort & investment pay off
• I would not be who I am without the support, honesty, curiosity & playfulness my friendships provide

Friendships offer a wealth of benefits. They enhance our well-being and enrich our journey in life. Research supports our own lived experience of positive, close friendship. We feel seen, heard and acknowledged. Friends help us to understand ourselves better. They offer perspective which can help us change our view of a challenging situation. When we have genuine, safe friendships we are better equipped to navigate the ups and downs of being human. We realize we don't have to go it all alone. We learn to cooperate and collaborate. We experience the joy of reciprocity.

How we define and what we expect of friendship changes over our lifespan. We have lifelong friends who share our stories, see our progress and bring us back to a simpler state. We have life stage friends who are right alongside us dealing with the day to day. Work friends relate to our goals & challenges and celebrate our wins. We also have context friends like gym or yoga friends with whom we share an activity where we may encourage, compete or simply share. We may be friendly with our mail carrier, our barista, our neighbor. So many types and depths and the one thing they all have in common is Connection.

Whether you're looking to make a new friend or nurture an existing friendship, I invite you to consider the qualities you are needing as well as what you offer.

• We need supportive mirrors - friends who reassure and encourage. They are the empathetic friend who has capacity to hold space for us, make a cup of tea or offer a warm hug.
• We need honest mirrors - friends who can be direct and constructive. They help us to problem solve and ask better questions.
• We need play friends - people who bring adventure, laughter, spontaneity & movement.
• We need learner friends - to learn with and from, to explore, expand, be curious and experiment with.
• We need a friend who is ahead of us in life. They bring advice, stories to learn from and appreciation for the ability to choose. These friends encourage us to enjoy our NOW.

Connection is powerful fuel. If this newsletter sparks a memory or appreciation - Please Reach Out & Share it. Your small effort will make someone's day & yours. If it makes you think, "I could use that", re-engage with those friends. Be open to new people who enter and actively seek out those qualities.

As you live this chapter of your life, remember:

Be your authentic self

Listening is a gift to offer & receive

Laughter and connection are good medicine for ALL!!