Friendships Old and New
Deb Gerow | Wellness Committee
While looking through an old autograph book , I found this wise saying : “ Make new friends , but keep the old ; one is silver , the other is gold .” I began thinking about the importance of friends — friends past and present — and how we go about connecting with new friends .
Studies show that social connection is important to good health . It can lead to lower anxiety and depression while helping to regulate our emotions . Perhaps this is because a friend is someone to whom we can express our deeply felt feelings . Relationships with friends often increase self-esteem and empathy because we are invested in the wellbeing of another . Friendships are essential in this time when the number of lonely people is growing . Technology has the ability to connect us more than
ever , but individual screen time often disconnects us from others . The past two years have made it evident that while technology can enhance connections , it cannot replace the face-to-face interactions that we need in order to thrive . Human beings require connections with other living beings .
As a child , I had many good friends , many of whom are still friends today . I was especially fortunate to have a best friend who was also a kindred spirit ; that is , we knew almost immediately upon meeting that we saw life through the same lens . We spent hours in each other ’ s company . We played Monopoly on weekend afternoons , got up to mischief together ( once we drank tiny glasses of grape juice and ate the leftover cubes of bread in the church kitchen — scandalous because she was the minister ’ s daughter ), attended summer camp together , tormented our younger siblings , and volunteered for our favourite causes . We read the same books ; we listened to the same music . Unfortunately , when we were entering high school , her family moved more than a thousand miles away . Although we have never lived any closer than that since , we are still good friends who are capable of resuming our friendship whenever we are in contact . I know that if I were ever in need of support , she would be there for me . In other stages of my life , I have found new friends in different ways . Some of those friendships developed in the ice arena as parents sat shivering in the bleachers , discussing life , sharing perspectives , and watching our children
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