Have We Stopped Being Friends With Each Other? 🌻

Seasoned Souls Reflections

This morning, as I sat by Lake Washington with my coffee, I thought about the sound of gunshots I fell asleep to and woke up to. I thought about the dream I had, where I was at a community center and a gang came through shooting randomly, children everywhere, and I was desperately trying to get people back inside before forcing myself awake.

Violence, bullying, suicides, politics — they are heavy realities of our country right now. It feels like a plague. But underneath it all, I wonder if part of what’s happening is that we’ve simply stopped being friends with each other.

When I was younger, weekends meant visiting family, going dancing, being social. I loved being around people. Friendship was woven into the rhythm of life. Today, I prefer solitude. Covid gave me the chance to have honest conversations with myself, and I came to trust myself in new ways — but I also stopped trusting others.

I know I have amazing people skills, yet I’ve pulled back from being a friend. I don’t chase after connections anymore. And yet, I can’t ignore what Simon Sinek says: people who have true friendships are healthier and happier.

That made me think of My Peace. I love and trust him. I wholeheartedly enjoy my time with him. Yet I don’t push to see him more. I don’t even call him. His presence reminds me that real friendship doesn’t have to be constant to be real — it just has to be true.

Maybe the bigger truth is that our country, our communities, even our own hearts, have lost some of that practice of friendship — of being there for each other with trust, joy, and care. And maybe part of the healing starts with finding our way back.