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Genuine friendship is a rare discovery. At least it has been for me as I've navigated through the past fifteen years of adulthood. I have found it true that distance, age or life experience makes no difference but rather the content of one's
character that determines one's sincerity, compassion and compatibility.
Without question, each of our life circumstances will prompt us to connect with others more readily than during other times of our lives, but
there are certain life events that reveal one to be a forever companion or a fair-weathered friend.
The magnificent news we wish to share with a friend worth having is met with over-joyed excitement, just as an unforeseen
heartbreaking moment is greeted with tenderness and encouragement. I've come to realize that strong friendships in many ways are similar to healthy romantic relationships in that they require two secure individuals who see no need to compete, but merely support, encourage, go about the day-to-day business and respect the understood space that each is comfortable with.
During those times in our lives when we aren't able to have strong friends in our lives, it can be tempting to wander back to those that continue to keep us down, gravitate toward us only when we are suffering and run from us when we're soaring. As someone who has learned such second attempts aren't worth the emotional angst, find the strength within yourself to
weather the loneliness and put yourself out there to meet new people, and build a different social circle. What you'll find will be people who, so long as you present yourself with self-assuredness, respect and clear boundaries, are secure in their own lives and will appreciate your courage, healthy sense of self and authenticity.
The saying turns out to be true, good friends are hard to find, but when you do, especially if you've experienced the contrary, you'll realize that no matter how far apart you travel, no matter what the age difference, they're worth maintaining a relationship with. A few years ago, I shared a post on how to make quality connections, and how to discern when they aren't, feel free to have a look. A similar comparison to investing in our friendships is the importance of investing in our retirement. While we can't be guaranteed it will blossom and grow, it is more likely than not that it will if we tend to it regularly.
So today, whether you have one solid, quality friendship or five, be thankful and remember to continue to invest in small, everyday ways.
A few announcements in response to questions from readers this week: If you have subscribed to the daily posts that are delivered to your email, it is temporarily under construction, and my web designer is taking a look at it. Hopefully it will be back up and running sooner rather than later. My apologies for the pause in daily deliveries. This also means TSLL App is
not receiving the latest blog posts, but that too is being worked on. Technology is wonderful, but every once in awhile maintenance is needed.
In this week's newsletter, the podcast discusses dating and real estate, and believe it or not,
these two seemingly different arenas have more in common than we think. Be sure to tune in. Also, the red carpet at Cannes these past two weeks was full of stunning style, and this week's Thoughts from the Editor highlights my favorites. Lastly, if you're looking for worthwhile summer reading, This & That has four
books to consider adding to your reading list.
Needless to say, hiccups may happen from time to time, but TSLL is moving forward as always. Be sure to mark your calendars for Saturday June 20th as that is the day you can sign-up to schedule a
capsule wardrobe styling session (only 12 spots will be available). More details were shared on this week's episode of The Simple Sophisticate podcast, or you can click here to learn more (or here).
I do hope you have a wonderful last weekend in May, and until next week, I'll see you on the blog.
