May 29, 2026
Reader
By the time I was 16, I had moved 12 times. Making friends wasn't a social skill — it was survival. You learned fast how to walk into a new school, find your people, and build something real before your dad got transferred again.
So, you'd think I'd have this friendship thing figured out by now. And mostly, I do. But here's what I didn't expect: the older I get, the more I find myself quietly envious of people who never left their hometown. People who still have coffee with someone they met in third grade. Someone who holds the long, unedited version of their story — the bad haircuts, the terrible boyfriends, the phases best forgotten. Those are real friends.
I've been spending time with Arthur Brooks lately — his writing and research on happiness and aging. He talks about a fork in the road that most of us will hit as we get older. Some people's happiness continues to grow. Others see it decline. The difference, more often than not, comes down to connection.
That hit close to home. Because I have friends from when my kids were small, and we joke that we grew up right alongside each other. If you were in your twenties when your first child arrived, you know exactly what I mean — you were still figuring yourself out while simultaneously keeping a small human alive. Those friendships were forged in the chaos of young parenthood, chronic sleep deprivation, and a few questionable decisions involving cheap wine in the backyard.
Those are the people I treasure most. Not because we talk every week — we don't. But because when we do sit down together, twenty years disappears in about ten minutes. They knew me when. When I was uncertain, overwhelmed, and pretending I had it more together than I did. There is nothing quite like being known that way.
Here's my nudge for this week: think of one person you haven't talked to in too long. Someone who knew the younger, messier version of you. Send a text. Suggest lunch. You don't need to rebuild anything — these friendships don't go away, they just wait. And life is genuinely better when someone at the table remembers who you used to be.
Warmly,
Wendy
Founder OverSixtyInsights
Looking for more reading: OverSixtyInsights.com
Quote for the Day:
“A true friend is someone who sees you at your best and sticks with you at your worst.” — C.S. Lewis
Recent Blog Posts:
Happiness in Retirement: The Honest 3 Year Story
Getting Fit After 60
Hidden Medicare Costs in Retirement: What to Expect at 65
One Small Favor
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Books I'm Reading
From Strength to Strength - Arthur Brooks
The Meaning of Your Life - Arthur C. Brooks
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