The Importance of Friendship for Seniors
By Linda Fodrini‐Johnson, MA, MFT, CMC
Founder & Chairman, Eldercare Services
You can’t underestimate the value of friendship for seniors.
“Make new friends one is Silver, and the other is Gold” – words to a song Girl Scouts sang at almost every meeting! At age 8 or 9, I am not sure we understood what that line meant, but now in my senior years I truly value the time spent with dear friends.
Earlier this summer, I had the opportunity to spend a weekend with five other women who I have shared many joys and trials with these past 27 years. All of us have in common the work we do as “experts” helping families navigate the Elder Care journey. The size of our practices varies, but the heartfelt passion to make life better is the overwhelming thread to our stories and our connection to one another.
What a joy to just stop and focus on our own quality of life to share challenges, goals, wishes as well as accomplishments, and our failures. It doesn’t matter what the “ball” tossed to you is, if you are willing to be honest and open up to others, they in turn open up to you and no matter the weight of the issue with a good friend it is lighter.
Friends who are authentic can confront the shadows you don’t see as well as the “mislabeling” you might see in yourself – often those traits you think you have are actually projections of long ago family and not your true light. A good friend or a group of friends, can help you take off that label and reframe the you that you really are. What a gift!Truly one is gold and the other is silver.
No matter what your age – make new friends. Join a group that interests your passions and you’ll find like spirits.