“True friendship withstands time, distance, and silence.” ~Isabel Allende In yesterday’s post, I shared a medical doctor’s advice on maintaining healthy social connections. These days, everyone is busy and overbooked, whether we’re talking about work and family obligations, community groups, social commitments, or medical appointments. When we’re overwhelmed or exhausted by the dates on our calendars (or whatever life is throwing at us) we might neglect our friendships. I’m guilty as charged, and I don’t always practice what I preach. As much as I believe in initiating contact with others, there have been times when I’ve needed to repair my spirit and spend time alone. That’s one of the hard…

“Let’s be clear: we’re not talking about Instagram likes, your thousands of connections on LinkedIn, a fat contact list in your phone. Social connection means real relationships — with people who make you laugh, let you be yourself, and show up when it counts.” ~Dr. Frank Lipman Did you know that friendship — and an active social circle — can help you live a longer and healthier life? There’s plenty of science to back it up. As Dr. Frank Lipman points out in his current weekly health and longevity blog, an important study reports that loneliness and “low social integration” put us at risk of heart disease, stroke, depression, dementia,…

“It’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on all the things you have long taken for granted.” ~ Bertrand Russell Too often, we take for granted the people and things we love. We assume they’ll always be there for us. And we get lazy. The things we value need regular care and maintenance — whether we’re talking about cars, homes, or relationships. Almost everything will fade or rust with neglect. Likewise, we wrongly assume that Mother Nature is inexhaustible. We take her for granted too. We might turn a blind eye to climate change warnings, or refuse to accept responsibility for the natural beauty we…

“You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.” ~Ernest Hemingway Most of us think of a vacation as an opportunity to “get away from it all.” We might explore a new city or country, or sip margaritas on a beach. The idea of escaping our problems (or boredom) by leaving home has always held tremendous appeal. Travel is a great distraction. Whether we’re wandering the streets of Paris or touring historic sites in Boston, we secretly hope we’ll return to our routines feeling more worldly or sophisticated. While a change of scenery is good for our mental health, we know that our worries, obligations, and…