PS - WHAT KIND OF FRIEND ARE YOU?

 JUST A LITTLE PS TO CONNECTING WITH FRIENDS

There are ways to help you stay more connected. Send a text when you think of a person. Or actually schedule a monthly phone call, especially to those long distance friends.

Stop with excuses such as, "I have nothing to wear or I need some ME time." Of course, we all need some ME time. Just schedule some social time for yourself too.

There really are three pillars of health - physical, mental AND social. People who feel more supported seem to get ill less often. Getting hugs helps to release chemicals within us that fight off stress. We all underestimate ourselves. Look for meaningful and mutual. If a friend suddenly seems distant, don't take it personally. Let them know that you care.

Put yourself out there. We all want and need more friends. 

WHAT KIND OF FRIEND ARE YOU?

 WHAT KIND OF FRIEND ARE YOU?

Adult friendship can be hard. There are ways to make it easier because we all need our social health. Connection is essential - not optional. All of us deserve friends in our lives.

The author, Kasley Killam, of The Art and Science of Connection, bases her work on research at The University of Pennsylvania and an award-winning initiative at Stanford University that promotes kindness and empathy. It is all about why social health is the missing key to living longer, healthier, and happier.

Strong friendships lower your risk for chronic disease, give your life more meaning, and make you happier.

She has named the four different kinds of friends. One is not better than another - they just help in knowing more about your friends and how they react. It also helps in knowing what kind of friend you are to others.

Think about which one may be a description of yourself. The first one is the butterfly. They like to flit around, as butterflies do from flower to flower and pollinate. Usually enjoys having lots of friends. They like to talk to anyone about anything. Lots of deep interactions.

Secondly, there is the evergreen. They tend to like frequent, DEEP interactions with basically close friends - not just anyone. They do like a lot of interactions, though, with their close friends, and they want them to be deep.

The next type is the firefly. They like less frequent interactions because they need some time alone to recharge, but they do like deep interactions. They are someone who prefers less frequent interactions and sometimes finds it hard to pin down for a coffee or a lunch date - just to get out of the house. Once they do get out they are enjoy being out with their friends.

Then there is the wallflower. They prefer less frequent interactions that are also more casual. They tend to enjoy sitting back and watching or listening before joining in for interactions. They are much more casual.

NEVER LOSE YOUR SPARKLE

 NEVER LOSE YOUR SPARKLE

In this blog, I just wanted to share the reason why I sort of suddenly disappeared from the radar screen. No daily mantras even on my Facebook page. The reason is full of some good news but also a bit of bad news about what has been going on in my life. It all concerns my health. The good news is that I am responding to my meds and treatments and continue to improve each day. The bad news is that it is not going to happen overnight. This all started on March 4th. Today it is April 6th. During this time frame, I have been admitted to the hospital twice and then to a Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Center. Now, I have Home Care PT and will continue doing it on my own from what I learn in the Rehab Center. Between all of this kind of support, I see good news ahead. In fact, I see good news on a daily basis.

Sometimes, as Dolly Parton stated concerning her own health issues, she says just to think of her like a classic car. Once restored, it can be better than ever!

Looking under the hood of that classic car, the doctors decided that new parts were needed, such as a new engine, a transmission, etc.

Something very important to this whole process was that the spark plugs needed to be changed. Like Dolly, I refuse to lose my spark! "Spark" was my Word of the Year that I chose instead of making New Year's Resolutions, so this is very near and dear to my heart.

My daughter and my youngest son were my advocates while in the hospital, rehab, and even now at home. I have wonderful neighbors and a son-in-law who help to drive me to my appointments when they are not able to. I am not able to drive yet. My daughter, with her wicked sense of humor, asked if one of the tests involved my mental health. She always comes up with something to make me smile and move away from any frustration in progress.

Some things are out of whack, but I KNOW that I will be myself again. As everyone tells me, I am still the real me. I just mean that I want to be able to do all the things that I did before this health issue.

They say that a happy heart is good medicine. It is so very important to always be positive. Many of my prior blogs are even about this very subject. If you are interested, just check out the titles in the monthly archives on my blog page.