Friendships play a crucial role in living a fulfilling life. They enrich our everyday experiences and make life more enjoyable. Friends not only help us through the difficult times, but they also make challenging situations more tolerable as well as allowing us to share the more beautiful aspects of life.
Having solid friendships is important for these reasons. PLUS, friendships can have a major impact on our health and well-being. They are extremely important for people to live a fulfilling life, even more so than being married, having children or having a lot of money.
According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, a narrow majority of adults (53%) say they have between one and four close friends, while a significant share (38%) say they have five or more.
Another survey found that nearly half of the American population reports an average of 3 close friends, while around 12% report no close friends at all. Despite prolonged periods of social isolation, nearly half of Americans report having made a new friend within the past 12 months.
As my children have gotten older, it is easier to make connections and start building community. However, there is grief in not already having this connection and the struggle of building these connections.
“Some people think they are in community, but they are only in proximity. True community requires commitment and openness. It is a willingness to extend yourself to encounter and know the other.” -Dave Spangler.
What are your connections like? What are your struggles in meeting and connecting with people?
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
