We are in the midst of National Friendship Week, a time to celebrate the family we choose to be in our lives. Friends are essential to helping us fill our happiness bucket. They’re there for us in good times, and they help us get through the bad times by bringing a smile back to our face.
The teens at St Elizabeth Academy don’t always know each other in the beginning but become fast friends. They each have a relatable story on how they…
- ended up on the streets
- came to find our program
- struggle and triumph in everyday life
- empower and lift each other onto a new path
By the time they cycle through our training program and age out of the orphanage, they become lifelong friends. So this week, let’s take some time to reflect and nurture our friendships.
Call/Text Your Friends
It’s easy to get caught up in the business of our everyday lives but set aside a few minutes each day to call or text a friend – old or new – to let them know you’re thinking of them.
Make a Date With Your Best Friend.
Especially if you two haven’t had one-on-one time in a while. Schedule coffee, drinks, brunch, dinner – whatever you like to do. The key is making sure you are alone so you can dedicate time to focusing on each other and catching up on life.
Send Your Best Friend a Gift
Show your best friend you’re thinking of them by making a donation to our Happy Jar Campaign on Facebook in their honor. Tag them and let them know they are special.
Make a New Friend
Expand your circle of friendship by making a new friend, and encourage your kids to do the same. The lunchroom is a great place for both adults and kids to strike up conversation.
Organize a Friendship Day Party
As if you needed an excuse to get your group of friends together, here’s the best one! Get your group of friends together for some food and fun to do what friends do best – live, laugh, and love! This is also great to do with your kids. Who says birthday parties and scout meetings are the only excuses to get a group of kids together?
Make a Friendship Photo Album
What better way to celebrate friendship than to memorialize it with a photo album! Going through old photos will help fill your happiness bucket as you reminisce. Apps like Shutterfly and Apple photos will help you do this with ease and are fairly inexpensive. Plus when you’re done you have a great gift for a friend!
Dedicate a Song on the Radio to a Friend
Call up your local radio station and dedicate a song to a friend this week. Bonus points if you call the radio station they listen to and request one of their favorite songs or a song that is special to you both.
We get by with a little help from our friends.
Yours in Friendship,
Cristen
