Many older adults are beginning to venture out of their safe havens with feelings of relief and caution as more are becoming fully vaccinated against COVID-19. There is excitement among them to be resuming more regular activities that the virus so abruptly put on hold.
Scheduling medical appointments that were delayed and planning trips that were all put on the back burner are goals again. Many may be planning to see children and grandchildren they may not have seen for months — or longer. Others are planning outings with friends for the first time in a long time. Simple things that previously felt unsafe now feel possible.
Regardless of our age, we all benefit from having those in our lives we call friends. The importance of relationships with friends and the value of being connected to others cannot be overstated. As said by Thomas Aquinas, “There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.”
Meaningful friendships have meaningful results. They produce mutual respect, trust, support, acceptance, joy, empathy, and love to name a few elements of friendship. A good friend won’t hesitate from telling you the truth, even if it is something you may not want to hear.
Friendships are good for our health. Healthy friendships can boost our physical and emotional health in several ways:
• Personal improvement — If we want to make a positive change in our life, such as quit smoking, a friend’s support can make all the difference. He/she is usually right there with us encouraging us, boosting our self-confidence. Our chances of reaching our goals increase.
• Knowing that others care — and that we care for them, increases feelings of compassion, self-worth, and security.
• Support in life’s challenges — It might be retirement, death of a loved one or another difficult life event, research has found that having friends in our corner increases our ability to manage, persevere, and recover.
According to a 2017 Michigan State University study, it was found that friends begin to have a bigger impact on our well-being than family members as we grow old. This gives credence to the need to pay attention to our friends all along life’s journey in order to be there for each other during major transitions. Friendship is a lifelong endeavor.
We still should proceed with caution as we start mingling. Some of our friends and neighbors may not be fully vaccinated or they may desire not to do so for their own reasons. As goes with being friends, we need to be respectful of each other’s position and health needs to continue cultivating those friendships.
