How Being Connected Helps me Thrive
unsplash @alexghiurau
Friendship Circles Bring Meaning to my Life
It is well-documented that one of the best ways to achieve wellness is to be connected to others. Research shows that the benefits of connecting with others are multi-fold, with both emotional and physical results.
A longer life, a stronger immune system, improved mental health, increased happiness, and better memory are all linked to building strong and meaningful relationships. We all have difficult times, and it helps to have the support of people around us who can listen and help us through these times.
Despite being an outgoing person with a loving family and friends, I have suffered from depression and anxiety most of my adult life. For those who can identify, this is for you.
I now realize that the connections I have made are crucial in my well-being, both mental and physical. The relationships I forge with others are extremely important to me and have helped to create a much more pleasurable day-to-day existence.
I am 73 years young and enjoying life to the fullest! Here are some of my connections with hopes they will inspire you to make some of your own.
Family
Family comes first. I have a loving husband but have never had children. So, I get pleasure in my family, staying connected with my two brothers, sister-in-law, nephews and grandnieces.
My family is in a group What’s App chat and we communicate with each other daily, about anything and everything. We share photos and videos, the latest binge-worthy streaming shows, political thoughts of the day, upcoming plans and adventures, among other things.
We are connected every day, without fail.
unsplash @synthetium
Besties
I know I’m not still in high school, but my BFFs are important to me, and I maintain these relationships diligently. I phone and text regularly and constantly check in and out, asking advice, giving advice, sharing things you just can’t share with anyone.
Many times I just need to cry out loud to someone and one of these ladies is usually that someone. These individuals are my safe refuges, and these connections are vital to me.
College Buddies
I have two very close friends from my college years who I am still extremely connected to. We are on another of those What’s App chats and call ourselves “The Carolina Girls” as we are proud University of South Carolina alumnae.
We started this chat during Covid and continue to communicate daily, again, about anything and everything. Luckily, we are all on the same political page, so we feel free to vent, cuss, and blow off steam about the events of the day.
We share recipes, illnesses, family gossip, and feel a connection that goes back over 50 years.
Travel Buddies
One of my passions is travel, and I love planning for these trips. Since my retirement, I have asked others to join in with my adventures. Naturally, these experiences create a bond, and we’re always talking about the next trip. Consequently, we have melded into a tight knit group, always talking and fantasizing about where we will head next.
We laugh over shared experiences, plan new ones, meet for lunch or a planned daytrip and continue to connect with each other on a shared chat group. Some of these travel buddies are people I have recently met. Some are friends from high school. Some are friends of friends. But sharing the exciting world of new places has connected us all forever.
photo supplied by the author
Former Colleagues
As an avid reader and former English teacher, one of my favorite connections is my book club. All members are also former educators, and over the past few years, we have formed a tight knit group.
We meet monthly for our “book club meeting,” which is early dinner, a drink or two, and a little book discussion at a local restaurant. We also have our own chat thread that goes nonstop, where we offer book recommendations, small talk, and the latest streaming advice.
This lovely group has morphed into a regular trivia night where we gather at a local pub to have some fun and test our knowledge. This connection is here to stay, as we have become the best of friends.
Social Media/Friends
Yes, I admit I am on Meta (still Facebook to me). Please note that I keep my posts light and avoid political or religious topics. I want to stay connected with past and present acquaintances without offending anyone. Facebook is my way of doing so.
Even though I rarely see many of my Facebook friends, I am still able to share their highs, lows, travels, grandchildren, anniversaries, and birthdays. I value their friendships, and my social media connections are important to me.
Social Media/Foodie Groups
Like many, I was very bored during Covid. I love to cook so I naturally gravitated to some foodie Facebook groups during this time. I began connecting with a myriad of people from all over the world and here I am, in 2025, with friends from England, France, New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, as well as all over the United States.
I have learned a great deal about tinned tomatoes and beans from the English and all about Buddha from my Sri Lankan friend, who calls me her American mom. These connections evolved over time from my comments on a post, to private messages, to becoming Facebook friends, and then to personal texts and emails.
In fact, one of my strongest connections is with my friend Anne, from Chicago. We have visited each other in person now. We even planned a trip to Spain and traveled there together last spring. What a deep and meaningful friendship we have forged!
unsplash @tayadianna
Part-time Work
I cannot stay home all day. There is only so much housework and ladies’ lunches I can abide. So, being a former educator, I ventured into the world of substitute teaching, for both travel money and as a way to connect with young people and fellow teachers. This has been such a gift to me.
I have met and gotten to know so many wonderful people in the last few years, and I am able to be an armchair grandma to these children. The special connections in my classrooms are another win-win for me!
Snail-Mail Correspondence
I still believe in the old-fashioned writing of cards and letters, in cursive, with a stamp, delivered to someone’s mailbox. I especially like corresponding with “little old ladies,” specifically three of my friends, aged 96, 97, and 101. Two are remaining dear friends of my mother, who passed away a few years ago. Another is the mother of one of my travel buddies.
It gives me great pleasure to call these women my pen pals, and I regularly put a little card or note in the mail to them. Expecting no return mail, my reward is knowing that I may have brightened someone’s day.
This connection may be my most heart-warming and meaningful. I also have begun to correspond regularly with my oldest great-niece, having gifted her with personal stationery and cute return address labels when she was around 8 years old. Now 11, Olivia is now my very special pen pal, and I keep her correspondence in a special folder for posterity in hopes that she will read them in the future.
unsplash @sixteenmilesout
Lovely Ladies of the Temple
My most recent connections have been with the “Lovely Ladies of the Temple.” Several years ago, I met my friend Joy in the doctor’s office waiting for cataract surgery. We discovered a shared heritage, and this led me to revisiting my roots and joining the local synagogue.
I am fortunate to lunch with these lovely ladies monthly, thus continuing to connect with others and form many more meaningful relationships.
Gym Buddies
True wellness means building body and soul. Having joined the local YMCA, I try to go a few times a week, more when I have time, to tone muscle and work on my cardio. And even here I have made connections that I cherish, with people I take Zumba with, with my Drum and Dance buddies, and with the staff I see coming and going.
I can meet new people every day and connect with old friends whom I would never see. This connection is vital and two-fold: I can connect with my community and stay active! Again, another win-win!
Life’s Greatest Reward
I bet if you started your own list, you would see so many ways that you also connect to others. These relationships bring me joy, peace of mind, pleasure, and a general feeling of well-being.
They make me smile.
They give me hope.
I can fill my life with companionship and love, and it serves me well. Connecting not only benefits me, but allows me the opportunity to show kindness to others.
To me, this is life’s greatest reward.
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