“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” – Helen Keller
Maintaining friendships can be a difficult task amongst life’s hectic schedule. As we get older, we often focus our lives on work and family, but it is important that we not neglect friendships. Taking time out of the day to write letters to our friends who have touched us and inspired us is a small act of friendship that will boost their mood and even our own.
Our friends have shaped who we are today. Starting from the days on the playground, to the friends we’ve made at work; each friendship has helped us grow and played a major role in our social development. They improve our self-confidence and self-worth, as well as our feeling of belonging and purpose. In doing so, stress and depression become minimized.
Good friends support us through thick and thin. Throughout life we will have ups and downs, but having someone there to support us and advise us along the way makes dealing with life’s stresses just a little bit easier. A friend who is willing to listen and reinforce that we are not alone can be therapeutic, helping us to better cope with anxiety and stress.
Maintaining friendships takes effort, but the benefits of keeping those special friendships makes the effort worthwhile. Showing our friends that we cherish them is a simple but effective way to bring happiness to their lives, as well as our own.
