The Lasting Value of Good Friends

I had a great weekend. I visited a friend in New Hampshire, where the leaves are starting to change to vivid shades of red and you can see your breath in the glow of a full moon. While the signs of fall were beautiful, what really made the weekend memorable was, well, memories.

You see, the friend I was visiting is someone I’ve known for, we came to realize, almost 25 years. That’s a lot of time, and a lot of ups and downs for both of us. Through it all, we never lost touch. There were times when we spoke or emailed almost every day, and there were times when we’d go months without hearing a peep from each other.

But what we came to realize over the course of the weekend was that no matter what, we were able to get in touch with the other when things got bad or when we really needed some help, some support, or just an ear to bend, and the other would be there. Some times we’d have to offer each other some tough love—after all, if you can’t be completely honest with an old friend, who can you be completely honest with? And because we’ve known each other so long and so well, we have a unique perspective on the other, one that can really come in handy when you’re talking through an issue or just really need a shoulder to lean on.

When I think back on all the things we helped each other through, I was fairly amazed at the number of big life events that had occurred to each of us. And I can’t imagine going through life’s ups and downs without a friend to lean on.

So as you move along the path of your weight loss program, remember to enlist the help of friends. Let them help you, by listening, observing, talking and sharing. The job becomes easier when more people are working on it. And life is all the richer for it.