Our vision may grow blurrier as we grow older, but we gain more clarity. We start to focus on the things in life that matter and have meaning. Real friendships come out at the top of the list for what makes a life for us over-50s rich and meaningful.
When I say real friendships, I mean the relationships where we can be accepted and loved as our most authentic selves, not for the persona we sometimes put on. At our age, we understand there’s no gain or richness in relationships that are fake or superficial. And, besides — who’s got time for that anyway?!
We have to continue to play nice with most people we come across, but we can be the real deal with our true and lasting friends: The friends we’ve made who are there for us, and us for them, when we’re not feeling so good.
Our lasting friendships are the ones that survive the test of time, hardships, moods, illnesses, divorces, and loss. These are friends who call when they haven’t heard from us. They are the ones we reach for when we need a hug or kind word. They offer the reassurance that someone cares and sees us for the perfectly imperfect person we are — and still loves us.
Having a true friend in your corner to share the ups and downs of the journey, to share deep thoughts and fears, to celebrate the good times and the bad, is where we find rich meaning in life.
These friendships we’ve made are worth continued cultivation because the harvest we yield from them can be lifesaving.
Nothing can drag us out of emotionally dark or lonely times like the tug of a caring friend. And nothing quite compares to sharing unexpected good news with a long-time friend who knows your journey.
May we nourish these meaningful connections we have in our lasting friendships, and may we continue to seek new relationships as we grow older.
