I remember my grandmother talking of how they corresponded with their families before the inventions of the telephone and, subsequently, the myriad of ways we cultivate connectivity during these internet-infused days. My grandfather’s family had moved over a hundred miles away from their place of origin to grow tobacco. Much of their family, especially on my grandfather’s side, was far away. Connectivity was hard, but they were open to it. I can remember her telling of a time

Statistically, you probably can count your friends on one hand. The average American only reports having two close friends. You could’ve lost a few fingers in an accident and still count your friends on one hand if you’re living the average life. This is a huge deal. You probably think you don’t have time for all this. You’re too busy for friendships. As one of my friends recently said, “I barely have time for my kids and wife. How in the world can I keep a friend?” It’s an i

Friendship is an enigma wrapped in a riddle. My friend Bob used to say that about things that were confusing. I don’t really understand it, but I get what it means. It’s a confession… a confessing of complication and confusion. It’s as if you’re saying, “This topic is so convoluted and difficult to understand that we can all have different opinions on it and all be right.” Understanding friendship is like trying to nail down Jello (that’s another one of my favorite sayings fr

We’ve all experienced it… We made a friend, got close to them and shared our hearts and lives, only to months or years later to look back and feel like we’ve lost them. For many of us, that perspective is filled with pain. We hurt in the loss. It’s hard to open up to someone, and it’s even harder to feel like you’ve lost that connection after being vulnerable and loving someone. The truth is we don’t have to hurt because there are often practical reasons why they are not your

How many best friends do you have? My son Klay has about fifteen. He uses that term very freely. If you’re playing with him and it’s going well he’s probably going to tell you, “You’re my best friend.” He’s not being manipulative in his use of the term. He’s just very situational. I’ve noticed the same thing among adults. We have lots of “best friends”, and I don’t really think the culture of friendship we’re creating is very good for us. “Best friend” is a very sacred title.