Can’t Get Enough of Your Love

I was trying to think of a title for this post when the Bad Company song I had heard at the gym yesterday popped into my head. And lest you think “well, at least she just heard it at the gym so she can’t be blamed for quoting it,” I admit that I do own the album.

I don’t think we can have too many people in our lives who care about us. A friend of my parents’ named Edward lives in a nursing home in the northwest. Since Edward had spent most of his life in New York City, he had few friends in Seattle and was estranged from some family members. He never married or had any children and one of his nephews, Jack, also single, had sole responsibility for Edward. He arranged for Edward to get into the best nursing home, visited him regularly, and took him out for holidays and other outings.

Then Jack died suddenly, leaving Edward alone. Fortunately, a few friends and relatives stepped up to the plate, but I doubt they will show Edward the love and caring that Jack did.

I feel it’s very important for us to cultivate relationships with as many younger people as possible so that we are not relying on only one person when we get older. Some research shows that, as we age, having good friends of any age can be at least as important as maintaining family ties. Interesting article in Psychology Today:

Who is likely to be happier and healthier at 90? A woman who  moves across the country to live with her daughter and sees a grandchild every month, but rarely interacts with friends—or a woman who socializes with friends all the time, and sees family members mainly on holidays?

https://www.psychologytoday.com/

N.B. I apologize for the long time period between my last post and this one–I know many of you were waiting for the next illuminating installment of Aging Without Children.