I had a number birthday quite recently, if you know what I mean. One of the things I was conscious of was how many good, new and old friends I have in my life.

People connections contribute a great deal to our sense of life being good, in fact research of all kinds is showing that:

“Social connection is a primary need for humans”

Making and keeping both new and old (as in, long term!) friends is a key part of that.

Friendship doesn’t just happen, you have to choose to invest and value the other people. And it should be a two-way relationship. Not you being there for them if they’re not interested in you. Great friends make the good times better and the hard times easier with their presence and their support.

Maintaining friends becomes all the harder as our lives roll on. We move away and sometimes head in different directions to our high school or young adult buddies. But the relationships you can hold over that time grow very strong. That’s why they’re so valuable. One friend who’s a CEO remarked recently that the higher you climb the more you need the older crowd to keep your head in a good place, since they knew you before you had power. I can see how that’s true.

Keeping up with the long term-ers has become much easier with the advent of social media. In fact, it’s probably the strongest reason I like Facebook. It’s nice to catch occasional news about what’s going on in their lives.

None of that’s to say that newer friendships ought not be grown! You’d never get to a long term status if you didn’t start somewhere. And meeting new people continues to expand our lives and add value to us as well. Here’s to a collection of new and old friends to laugh with, cry with, stick by and grow old with for us all!