From the Inside Out

In the ’60s, Paul McCartney and John Lennon wrote a song titled, “With a Little Help from My Friends.” A well-known song with easily recognizable lyrics, it appears in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” Most people can immediately recite the words, “I get by with a little help from my friends. Gonna try with a little help from my friends.” They are simple words, but nonetheless true. It’s amazing how friends can help you “get by” in good times and bad times.

Even in the normal, mundane activities of our lives, friends enhance the experience. They laugh with you, listen to your stories, provide advice, and motivate you. I find it interesting that even the things you dread can become fun in the presence of a friend. My good friends know that one of the things I hate are baby showers. Those events try my patience, so I usually bring a companion to share the torture with me. Having someone there who is willing to discuss topics other than babies and the birthing experience somehow makes the event bearable.

Working out is another activity that is always goes better with friends. I met one of my best friends at the gym for a workout tonight, and it was great. The boredom of walking on a treadmill or pedaling a stationary bike was replaced with laughter and conversation about interesting topics.

A 60-minute workout feels like forever when you are alone, but it passes in a heartbeat with a friend. People who exercise with a friend are more likely to stay motivated longer. After all, It’s harder to bail on a friend who is waiting for you at the gym. Friends also push you further, challenge your weaknesses, and boost your confidence.

Thank God for friends and the little bit of help they bring our way!

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last 40 years, you probably know the lyrics to the famous Beatles song. Hum it with me now:

“I get by with with a little help from my friends.”

Yes, it’s catchy, but also true according to an Australian study conducted over a 10-year period. Having friends can help you get by, but it does more than that, it can help you live longer. The study found that people with a large circle of friends are less likely to die — 22 percent less likely — than those with fewer friends. Other studies show that friendships can aid in promoting brain health, fighting illness and depression, and reducing the risk of heart attack.

“In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn’t terribly well appreciated,” said Rebecca G. Adams, a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. “There is just scads of stuff on families and marriage, but very little on friendship. It baffles me. Friendship has a bigger impact on our psychological well-being than family relationships.”

Nearly 3,000 nurses with breast cancer participated in a 2006 study that found women without close friends were four times as likely to die from the disease as women with 10 or more friends. And surprisingly, having a spouse wasn’t associated with survival.

Researchers aren’t certain why friendship has such a profound psychological effect. Maybe it’s because strong friendship networks give people someone to turn to in times of need, thereby lowering stress. Maybe it’s the unwavering support and love they provide — or physical help (i.e. helping them run errands or pick up medicine). Regardless of the reason why, it’s clear that friends make your life better.

So, if you want to live a longer, healthier life, nurture your relationships. Not only will you reap the benefits, but they will too!

Social media sites like MySpace and Facebook can be a great waste of time. You can spend hours updating your site, responding to comments, playing useless games, answering lame surveys and checking status updates. But one of the benefits of these sites is that they make it easy to stay in touch with people. They offer a “one-to-many” communications tool. They also provide a way to reconnect with old friends.

In recent weeks I’ve reconnected to friends with whom I haven’t spoken in over 20 years. It’s really cool to be able to bridge the gap and find out who they’ve become, where they live, and how many kids they have. Some have changed a lot; others not so much.

I met up with a few friends tonight who still live in the area. We went to dinner; I thought we’d catch up and be home about an hour later. I was wrong — our dinner ended just shy of the 3 hour mark. Even though we’re all older and much has changed, it just seemed like “old times”. We had so much to talk about — that made it hard to stop and walk away.

It’s funny how you can lose touch with people over time, but you still have a unique bond because of the experiences you shared when you were together. I guess it’s one thing time can’t change.

Dinner = $11. 43

Sodas = $1.95

Reconnecting with old friends = priceless

Over the course of my life, I’ve had many friendships. Some stay and some go, but there are a few special relationships that never change no matter what happens. Whether separated by distance or time, the connection remains. It goes beyond friendship — it’s a lasting bond, a sisterhood.

It’s been said that we do not choose our friends, God does. There’s a part of me that believes it’s true. I think God brings certain people into your life. These people are meant to share not only your joys and achievements, but also your heartbreaks, fears, and failures. They are the ones who walk in and stand beside you when it gets tough and others walk out. These are the people who are truly gifts from God.

I was blessed to meet this type of a friend early in my life. During our teens, we were inseparable. She was more than a friend; she was my second sister. And though a lot has changed throughout the years, she remains my sister. We have been through so much together, and I know she would be one of the first people to respond in a time of need. She is a courageous person, and she may not realize this, but I have learned a lot from her. I love her dearly.

Oftentimes, I take these rare friendships for granted, not fully appreciating how special they are. The busyness of my life doesn’t allow much time for relationship nurturing, yet these people stick around anyway. They love me in spite of my flaws and inadequacies. Elbert Hubbard said, “Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.” It’s so true.

So, in today’s blog, I want to say thanks to the friends who “know all about me and still like me” anyway. Your gift of friendship is priceless.

“Are we going to be friends forever?” asked Piglet.
“Even longer,” Pooh answered.
- A. A. Milne

After dragging my tired body out of bed this morning, I quickly got ready and made my way to church for choir practice.  It was a bit hectic today, especially since our band leader wasn’t there.  The musicians seemed a little disjointed, or maybe we were all suffering from Daylight Saving Time “hangovers”.  I really missed that extra hour of sleep last night.

After practice, I went to turn my cell phone volume off (didn’t want it ringing during service) and noticed a message waiting was waiting for me.  I was delighted to learn that one of my best friends (actually, more like a second sister), Laura H., was going to visit my church.  Normally, she attends church elsewhere, but she decided to play “hooky” today. 

Jokingly, she said it was the only way to see me, but there is some truth behind that statement.  My schedule is going to be a bit crazy during the next couple of weeks leading up to VoiceCon.  After that, I’ll be gearing up for the new summer drama at ALC, so I won’t be slowing down anytime soon.

Anyway, it was great to have her there.  We grew up together, went to high school together, and attended the same church as teenagers.  It was sort of like old times.  Afterwards, we had lunch at Posados.  It was great!  I hope she plays “hooky” more often.  I need to do the same and visit her from time-to-time.

The other notable highlight of the day was my first visit to Market Street.  One recently opened near our house, so we decided to check it out today.  At first, I was a little enthralled by all of the fresh food and cooked meals, but that feeling was soon replaced by the frustration of having to deal with the hordes of other people who were also trying to crowd into the new store to check it out. 

For the most part, the second half of the store seems like a normal grocery store.  I think they may have more variety from which to choose, but other than that, it wasn’t too impressive IMHO  Given the crowds, I think I’ll stick to the Super Target unless I need a novelty item or precooked dinner.