Making Friends Beyond 40: How Do You Define Friendship

My daughter started middle school this year. She’s at a new school, has a plethora of new responsibilities, and is navigating the complex world of creating meaningful friendships. I think most of us can recall just how overwhelming and at times, down right cruel the world felt in middle school. Those were tough times but as in every chapter of life, they gave us an opportunity to learn more about ourselves.

In one of my recent daily discussions with my daughter on what it really means to be a friend, I realized something profound. Not much changes throughout the course of our lives when it comes to making lasting friendships. We may encounter people with whom we instantaneously connect; yet for most of us, those are rare. Most relationships take time to develop and hence, discernment from us on what exactly we want from a friend.