In the next 60 seconds, write down the names of 25 close friends, ones you would expect to know for the rest of your life and see at your funeral if you were able. 

How is the list?  If you are still writing, great!  If you were done in 15 seconds and had 3 people on the list, it might be time to make some new friends or reconnect with those that have dropped of your radar.

Reconnecting has been a joyful experience, and I’d recommend it to everyone to try.  Send a text, make a call, send an email asking to have a conversation over the phone, Zoom or in person if you are both local.

Friends are important to our lives in so many ways.  The combination of the pandemic and our electronic society where your eyes spend a huge amount of time focused on a screen of some type have spawned an epidemic of loneliness. One great way to find, make and nurture a new friendship is to find someone with a common passion or level of fanaticism that matches your own on a particular topic or pastime.

Connecting with strangers is difficult for most of us but the possibility of meeting a new friend should overcome your trepidations about taking the risk. It might be a random encounter in a grocery store line, or a connection at an event where you know there are people like you, but there are some things you can do to ease an initial conversation with anyone.

In an era of unprecedented digital connectivity, the paradox of growing loneliness threatens our collective well-being. While social media platforms may offer thousands of superficial connections, true friendship remains the vital antidote to isolation and despair. As we navigate this AI-driven future, the importance of nurturing authentic relationships becomes even more critical, reminding us that genuine human connections are irreplaceable in our journey through life.