It was Friday night, and I was alone. I began the day envisioning a night full of laughter, deep conversation, and good food. But three minutes earlier, my friend had texted me to cancel our dinner plans. At first, I felt like I understood. She’s been very busy,… Read More

I told myself I shouldn’t be sad. Sure, it’s my last week in England, a place I’ve called home for over a year, I thought. Yes, my dear housemates will soon live thousands of miles away from me, I admitted. But, still, it’s not all that bad. This is… Read More

There’s something special about friendship. You don’t get to choose your relatives or where you were born or under what circumstances—but you get to choose your friends. Sometimes we become friends with the most unlikely candidates. Other times, we meet someone and feel like we’ve known them forever. It’s really… Read More

Some friendships end slowly—in missed calls, unanswered texts, and constantly rescheduled hangouts. We should hang out soon! your friend says. Yes, let’s! you respond. But the other person is never available, and so the friendship fades. Other friendships end in angry words, harsh judgments, and buried resentments brought to… Read More

When you were a kid in kindergarten, it seemed so much easier to make friends. All you had to do was compliment someone’s shoes on the playground, ask if they wanted to play a game—and voila! You were instant best friends. At least it felt that way. As an adult,… Read More

My friendship with George started as a trip to IKEA to buy a table. I’m not sure you can walk in IKEA, find what you need, and get out in less than 2 hours. But it’s especially doubtful when you’re with an IKEA newbie. And my new friend George… Read More

The last place I heard Scripture quoted was in a laundromat. “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord,” said a middle-aged woman as she folded children’s clothes. In an animated conversation with another woman, she was complaining about her ex-husband, who apparently… Read More

Well, here I go, I thought to myself. Another beautiful Saturday morning and I have nowhere to be. Weeks earlier, I had moved to my favorite city during my favorite time of year. I lived blocks from the beach. And I worked a subway ride from my favorite sports… Read More

Before I married my wife, I craved the opportunity to live alone. I held tightly to a vision of complete independence: going to bed and waking up when I wanted, outfitting my space with all the sports memorabilia in my collection, coming home from work and taking time to… Read More

According to the esteemed Myers-Briggs test, I am a natural introvert. I feel overwhelmed in large groups, process the majority of my thoughts internally and prefer to start (and end) my day with alone time. But by nature, I also crave friendship and community. I long for… Read More