Celebrate Your Friendships!
“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”
- Oprah Winfrey
Valentine’s day—the holiday of Cupid, heart-shaped candies and red roses—is right around the bend. But this year, I’m going to focus Valentine’s Day’s newer siblings: Galentine’s Day —a day to celebrate one’s friendships with the gals, coined by the fictional Leslie Knope, a character on the series Parks and Rec—and the less known but just as important, Malentine’s Day — a celebration of bromance.
Both of these days are about celebrating the friendships in our lives—something I encourage us all to do.
According to this article from the Mayo Clinic, friendships
Increase our sense of belonging and purpose
Boost our happiness and reduce your stress
Improve our self-confidence and self-worth
Help us cope with traumas, such as divorce, serious illness, job loss or the death of a loved one
Encourage us to change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise
The same article notes that “Adults with strong social connections have a reduced risk of many significant health problems, including depression, high blood pressure and an unhealthy body mass index (BMI). In fact, studies have found that older adults who have meaningful relationships and social support are likely to live longer than their peers with fewer connections.”
Health benefits aside, friendships enrich our lives. With friends, we have someone to share the good times with and also the tough times. Helen Keller said that “walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.”
And just like in a romantic relationship, friendships flourish when you nurture them — so in the next week, take the opportunity to show your love and appreciation to the friends in your life!
