Yes, I know I post a lot about friendship on my blog 😊. I imagine that is because the ‘friend deal’ is a big deal to me. I remember how important friends were to me when I was growing up. With adulthood, friends can sometimes fade into the background due to a lack of time as marriage, career, family, etc. take center stage. Fortunately, with some care and nurturing, they don’t completely go away (whew!). For me, my friends are even more important to me in my third third than they were when I was growing up.
Not only are friends important for companionship, but they are also vital for my health. Who doesn’t like taking a walk with a friend? On the subject of friends and health, many of you are probably familiar with the Blue Zones. If not, I highly recommend checking it/them out.
The Blue Zones are the areas of the world where people live exceptionally long and healthy lives, such as Sardinia, Ikaria (Greece), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica), Okinawa (Japan), and Loma Linda, CA.
Dan Buettner studied these communities and identified Power 9 (copyrighted), the nine lifestyle habits of their healthy people. One of the lifestyle habits he identified is choosing the Right Tribe, which are social circles that support healthy behaviors. For example, Okinawans create moais – groups of five friends that are committed to each other for life.
I started thinking about my own right Tribe and came across this article about friendship after 60. Here is what the author looks for in friends.
Friends who:
- Are fun, LAUGH, and enjoy new things,
- Only complain when its necessary,
- Are real about what they’ve experienced – are authentic,
- Stay open to possibilities, and
- Are not dependent on my energy – energy is precious. Some give and take is important at this stage of life and relationships.
Her list is pretty much my list. I would add a couple of wishes to the friendship list:
- Friends who are trustworthy
- And here is the biggie – friends who are forgiving of my numerous flaws, keep coming back for more, and somehow love me regardless 😊
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”
Jim Rohn
Despite numerous ups and downs over the years, I am fortunate to have a moais of five+ friends that are stuck with me. Here’s hoping they feel the same way!
Today we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, so before I close, here is a quote from Dr. King:
All we say to America is: be true to what you said on paper.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Allene
Travels with Allene 