friends and relatives essay

Essay on Family And Friends

Students are often asked to write an essay on Family And Friends in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Family And Friends

What is family.

A family is a group of people who are often related by blood. They are the first group of people we know when we are born. A family can include our parents, brothers, sisters, and sometimes grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. They teach us how to walk, talk, and understand the world. Families love and take care of each other.

Who are Friends?

Friends are people we like to spend time with. They are not from our family, but they can be just as important. We meet friends at school, parks, or classes. They play with us, share stories, and help us when we are sad or in trouble. Friends make life fun.

Why Family and Friends Matter

Family and friends are very important because they support us. Our family helps us grow up right and teaches us about life. Friends help us learn about trust and sharing. They both make us feel happy and loved. Without them, we would be very lonely. Family and friends fill our lives with joy.

250 Words Essay on Family And Friends

Importance of family and friends.

Family and friends are like the roots of a tree; they help us stay strong and grounded. Our family is the group of people we are born into or the ones who take care of us. They are our first teachers and our biggest supporters. They teach us how to walk, talk, and understand the world.

Family: Our First Friends

Our family is very important because they love us no matter what. They are there to celebrate our happy moments and support us when we are sad. They give us advice and help us make good choices. Our parents, brothers, sisters, and even our pets are part of our family. They make our house feel like a warm and happy home.

Friends: Our Chosen Family

Friends are the people we choose to have in our lives. They are the ones we share our toys with, play games with, and tell our secrets to. Good friends make us laugh, listen to our stories, and stand by us when we face problems. Just like family, true friends are important because they make us feel special and loved.

Together Is Better

Life is better with family and friends. They teach us how to share, care, and be kind to others. They make us feel we belong to something bigger than ourselves. Whether it’s a family picnic or a game with friends, these moments create memories that last forever.

In conclusion, family and friends fill our lives with joy and teach us how to love. They are the ones we think of first in good times and bad. They are our treasure, and we should always be thankful for them.

500 Words Essay on Family And Friends

Family is a group of people who are often connected by blood or marriage. In simple words, these are the people you live with, like your mom, dad, brothers, and sisters. Sometimes, your grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins are also part of your family. Family members take care of each other, help each other, and share a special bond that is hard to find anywhere else.

The Importance of Family

Your family is very important because they support you when you are sad and celebrate with you when you are happy. They teach you things like how to speak, how to walk, and how to behave with others. Families also make sure you have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a safe place to live. They are your first friends and the first people who love you.

What are Friends?

Friends are people who you are not related to but choose to spend time with. You meet friends at school, in your neighborhood, or during activities like sports or music classes. Friends make you laugh, join you in games, and are there to listen when you have something to share or when you need advice.

The Role of Friends in Our Lives

Friends are important because they make life more fun. They understand you in ways that sometimes family members might not. Friends are the ones you share secrets with, have adventures with, and learn new things with. They can be very different from you, which helps you learn about new cultures, foods, and ideas.

Family and Friends During Tough Times

When things get hard, like if you are feeling sick or having a bad day at school, family and friends are there to help. Your family might take care of you, make you soup, and make sure you get better. Your friends will try to cheer you up, maybe by telling jokes or doing something you enjoy together.

Building Strong Relationships

To have a good relationship with your family and friends, you need to talk to them, spend time with them, and show that you care. This means being kind, sharing, and helping them when they need it. It is also important to listen to them and respect their feelings.

Celebrating with Family and Friends

Birthdays, holidays, and special events are times when family and friends get together to celebrate. These are happy times when you can make great memories, like eating a birthday cake or going to a fun place together. These celebrations make the bond with your family and friends even stronger.

Family and friends are both very special. They make you feel loved, teach you new things, and are there for you in good times and bad. It’s important to take care of these relationships by being a good family member and a good friend. This means being kind, respectful, and there for each other. Remember, a life filled with loving family and friends is a happy life.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Importance of Family Relationships

Categories: Family Relationships Parent-Child Relationship

About this sample

Words: 515 |

Published: Aug 31, 2023

Words: 515 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Emotional support and security, healthy development and identity formation, nurturing communication skills, shared traditions and cultural heritage, crisis support and resilience, socialization and moral development, interpersonal skills and conflict resolution, elderly care and generational exchange, building strong communities and societal cohesion, conclusion: the enduring significance of family bonds.

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Essay about Family: What It Is and How to Nail It

Humans naturally seek belonging within families, finding comfort in knowing someone always cares. Yet, families can also stir up insecurities and mental health struggles.

Family dynamics continue to intrigue researchers across different fields. Every year, new studies explore how these relationships shape our minds and emotions.

In this article, our dissertation service will guide you through writing a family essay. You can also dive into our list of topics for inspiration and explore some standout examples to spark your creativity.

What is Family Essay

A family essay takes a close look at the bonds and experiences within families. It's a common academic assignment, especially in subjects like sociology, psychology, and literature.

So, what's involved exactly? Simply put, it's an exploration of what family signifies to you. You might reflect on cherished family memories or contemplate the portrayal of families in various media.

What sets a family essay apart is its personal touch. It allows you to express your own thoughts and experiences. Moreover, it's versatile – you can analyze family dynamics, reminisce about family customs, or explore other facets of familial life.

If you're feeling uncertain about how to write an essay about family, don't worry; you can explore different perspectives and select topics that resonate with various aspects of family life.

Tips For Writing An Essay On Family Topics

A family essay typically follows a free-form style, unless specified otherwise, and adheres to the classic 5-paragraph structure. As you jot down your thoughts, aim to infuse your essay with inspiration and the essence of creative writing, unless your family essay topics lean towards complexity or science.

Here are some easy-to-follow tips from our essay service experts:

Focus on a Specific Aspect: Instead of a broad overview, delve into a specific angle that piques your interest, such as exploring how birth order influences sibling dynamics or examining the evolving role of grandparents in modern families.
Share Personal Anecdotes: Start your family essay introduction with a personal touch by sharing stories from your own experiences. Whether it's about a favorite tradition, a special trip, or a tough time, these stories make your writing more interesting.
Use Real-life Examples: Illustrate your points with concrete examples or anecdotes. Draw from sources like movies, books, historical events, or personal interviews to bring your ideas to life.
Explore Cultural Diversity: Consider the diverse array of family structures across different cultures. Compare traditional values, extended family systems, or the unique hurdles faced by multicultural families.
Take a Stance: Engage with contentious topics such as homeschooling, reproductive technologies, or governmental policies impacting families. Ensure your arguments are supported by solid evidence.
Delve into Psychology: Explore the psychological underpinnings of family dynamics, touching on concepts like attachment theory, childhood trauma, or patterns of dysfunction within families.
Emphasize Positivity: Share uplifting stories of families overcoming adversity or discuss strategies for nurturing strong, supportive family bonds.
Offer Practical Solutions: Wrap up your essay by proposing actionable solutions to common family challenges, such as fostering better communication, achieving work-life balance, or advocating for family-friendly policies.

Family Essay Topics

When it comes to writing, essay topics about family are often considered easier because we're intimately familiar with our own families. The more you understand about your family dynamics, traditions, and experiences, the clearer your ideas become.

If you're feeling uninspired or unsure of where to start, don't worry! Below, we have compiled a list of good family essay topics to help get your creative juices flowing. Whether you're assigned this type of essay or simply want to explore the topic, these suggestions from our history essay writer are tailored to spark your imagination and prompt meaningful reflection on different aspects of family life.

So, take a moment to peruse the list. Choose the essay topics about family that resonate most with you. Then, dive in and start exploring your family's stories, traditions, and connections through your writing.

Supporting Family Through Tough Times
Staying Connected with Relatives
Empathy and Compassion in Family Life
Strengthening Bonds Through Family Gatherings
Quality Time with Family: How Vital Is It?
Navigating Family Relationships Across Generations
Learning Kindness and Generosity in a Large Family
Communication in Healthy Family Dynamics
Forgiveness in Family Conflict Resolution
Building Trust Among Extended Family
Defining Family in Today's World
Understanding Nuclear Family: Various Views and Cultural Differences
Understanding Family Dynamics: Relationships Within the Family Unit
What Defines a Family Member?
Modernizing the Nuclear Family Concept
Exploring Shared Beliefs Among Family Members
Evolution of the Concept of Family Love Over Time
Examining Family Expectations
Modern Standards and the Idea of an Ideal Family
Life Experiences and Perceptions of Family Life
Genetics and Extended Family Connections
Utilizing Family Trees for Ancestral Links
The Role of Younger Siblings in Family Dynamics
Tracing Family History Through Oral Tradition and Genealogy
Tracing Family Values Through Your Family Tree
Exploring Your Elder Sister's Legacy in the Family Tree
Connecting Daily Habits to Family History
Documenting and Preserving Your Family's Legacy
Navigating Online Records and DNA Testing for Family History
Tradition as a Tool for Family Resilience
Involving Family in Daily Life to Maintain Traditions
Creating New Traditions for a Small Family
The Role of Traditions in Family Happiness
Family Recipes and Bonding at House Parties
Quality Time: The Secret Tradition for Family Happiness
The Joy of Cousins Visiting for Christmas
Including Family in Birthday Celebrations
Balancing Traditions and Unconditional Love
Building Family Bonds Through Traditions

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Family Essay Example

For a better grasp of the essay on family, our team of skilled writers has crafted a great example. It looks into the subject matter, allowing you to explore and understand the intricacies involved in creating compelling family essays. So, check out our meticulously crafted sample to discover how to craft essays that are not only well-written but also thought-provoking and impactful.

Final Outlook

In wrapping up, let's remember: a family essay gives students a chance to showcase their academic skills and creativity by sharing personal stories. However, it's important to stick to academic standards when writing about these topics. We hope our list of topics sparked your creativity and got you on your way to a reflective journey. And if you hit a rough patch, you can just ask us to ' do my essay for me ' for top-notch results!

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FAQs on Writing an Essay about Family

Family essays seem like something school children could be assigned at elementary schools, but family is no less important than climate change for our society today, and therefore it is one of the most central research themes.

Below you will find a list of frequently asked questions on family-related topics. Before you conduct research, scroll through them and find out how to write an essay about your family.

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Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

Family vs. Friends: Comparing Key Relationships

Gabrielle is an experienced freelance writer and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with experience using equine-assisted therapy.

Learn about our Editorial Policy .

Friendships and familial relationships can be both a source of stress and a source of comfort depending on the circumstances. Whatever your own unique relational balance is amongst your friends and/or family members, know that both friends and family can provide meaningful and fulfilling connections.

Family vs. Friends

When it comes to comparing friendships and familial relationships, know that the quality of the relationship is a key component of how meaningful, supportive, and fulfilling a relationship is. This means that whether you are mostly close with your friends or your family, you can still experience loving, healthy, and respectful relationships.

9 Common Signs a Guy Likes You As More Than a Friend
78 Fun Questions to Ask Your Family Members
Acquaintances vs. Friends: Differences & Tips to Move From One to the Other

Which Is Better Family or Friends?

There is no "better" when it comes to a familial relationship or friendship. Relationships are all different and will vary based on unique circumstances. A fairer comparison would be to ask yourself which relationships are healthier? Healthy relationships may be absent amongst your family, but not amongst your friendships, or vice versa.

How Do Friends Differ From Family Members?

One big difference between family and friends is that your family member's relational label will not change, even if you have an argument. Your sibling, parent, aunt, or cousin will always maintain that relational label, even if you become estranged. With friendships, if you have a falling out, your relationship status can change and you may end up completely disconnected. In some families, there is more of an undertone that no matter what, family is family, and issues may be prioritized for resolution, while this may not be the case with some friendships.

Family vs. Friends Comparison Chart

Both family and friends can be caring, loving, irreplaceable, and maintain their relationship with you through the ups and downs of life. While some families are open, loving, and warm, others can be cold, abusive, and neglectful . Unlike with friendships, especially if you are a minor, families can feel more difficult to remove yourself from. Family relationships may also be associated with more complex issues, hierarchical disparities, and circumstances where one may feel indebted to another, while healthy friendships have an even power structure.

Why Do I Like My Friends More Than My Family?

If you feel like your friends have replaced your family or that you prefer your friends to your family, know that you are not alone. Many individuals turn to friends when they have difficulties with their family members or feel as if their friends are more trustworthy and understand them better than family members do. You have control over who you choose to surround yourself with friend-wise, but that's not the case when it comes to family. Being able to choose friends who support and accept you may feel a lot different when compared to your family relationships.

Do Family Members Count as Friends?

Family members can also be considered friends. There is no rule stating that a family member can't also be a friend. You may have a cousin close in age, a sibling who you consider to be a best friend, or another family member who you feel like you can truly confide in.

Friends or Family- Who Do You Rely on the Most and Why?

Relying more on a family member or friend will depend on your unique situation. Some individuals:

Have an unhealthy family situation and prefer to rely on friends
Have a more difficult time making and/or maintaining friendships and may rely more on family members
May rely on family members for certain matters and friends for others

Family Versus Friends Quotes

Quotes about friendships and relationships with your family can highlight their similarities and differences. These quotes can feel inspirational to read, write in a card, or be communicate in other ways you see fit.

Are Friends Better Than Family for Your Health?

Research indicates that friendships, especially for adults, predict better health outcomes than familial relationships do. Having solid, reliable friendships was more closely tied to feeling happier and healthier.

Is It More Important to Have a Good Family Than Friends?

Research indicates that having good friends is tied to better mental and physical health outcomes. With that said, every circumstance is unique, and it's up to you to figure out which relationships in your life feel fulfilling, supportive, and loving, regardless if they are with a family member or friend.

Family or Friends

Relationships with friends and family members are unique to each individual. Know that there is no right or wrong way to have healthy and meaningful relationships, whether that means being closer to your friends or family members.

Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Why Your Friends Are More Important Than You Think

Researchers and philosophers have explored in great detail the emotional dramas of love and family. But they’ve spent much less time pondering the deep satisfaction of a good friend.

A similar thing happens in our own lives, writes science journalist Lydia Denworth. When something’s gotta give, it’s often our friendships, which take a backseat to our family and work obligations—or our latest fling.

But that’s a mistake, she argues in her new book, Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond . In fact, research suggests that friendships can help us find purpose and meaning, stay healthy, and live longer. The intimacy, support, equality, and emotional bonds we have in our friendships are unique.

Her book honors the relationships forged through slumber parties, shoulders cried upon, and kindnesses that don’t need to be repaid. “The science of friendship gives you permission to hang out with your friends and call it healthy,” she says. “You’re not being indulgent.” In a conversation with Greater Good , Denworth explains why we need our friends and how to keep those connections strong—even in a pandemic.

Kira Newman: How does friendship change for people across their lifespan?  

Lydia Denworth: When you’re very young, of course, your primary social relationship is with your parents or caregivers. But when kids go to school, they start to have deeper friendships that involve, first, doing things together, and then a deeper, shared emotional element. Then in adolescence, it becomes even more abstract and relational.

All the way through high school and college, friendships can feel easy because you are thrown into an environment where you have lots of same-age peers and the pool of potential friends is big. Also, when you’re an adolescent, your brain is as attuned to social signals and connection as it will ever be. You are really hyper-interested in social activity. 

Then in adulthood, as people start to have jobs and maybe get married or have a family, it can become harder to spend time with your friends. Toward the end of life, we tend to come back around to having a little bit more time once kids are grown and careers and jobs are less demanding. 

There are these transition points in life when it’s easier or harder to spend time with friends, but what is important for people to know is that friendship is a lifelong endeavor and that it is something that people should be paying attention to at all points in life. I think that people sometimes think (especially in their 30s and 40s), “I just don’t have time for friends right now,” and that’s a mistake.

If you get to be 65 and then now you’re ready to start paying attention to friends, well, it’s a little bit like stopping smoking when you’re 65. If you go from 15 to 65 and you smoke the whole time, it’s still better to stop than not, but some damage will have been done. And if you don’t pay attention to friends all the way along, the same thing is true.

KN: You observe in your book that we tend to neglect our friendships when we get busy, more so than other relationships. Can you say more about that?

LD: The reason we do that is that we feel more beholden to our family that we’re related to, and that makes plenty of sense—we’re legally and biologically connected to our family members. So, I’m not saying that we should be spending a lot less time with family. But we also feel that spending time with friends, instead of working, is indulgent.

My message is that it is not necessarily indulgent because having good, strong friendships is as important for yourself as diet and exercise, and so it’s something you need to prioritize. If you are forever canceling on your friends or failing to make a point of seeing them or talking to them or interacting with them, then you are not being a good friend and you are not maintaining a strong relationship. You need your friends to be there down the road. But you have to do the work along the way, or they won’t be there. Friendship does take some time, but that’s kind of good news because (mostly) hanging out with your friends is fun.

The second half of the story, though, is that it’s quite normal for there to be change in our friendships over the course of a lifetime, and that’s OK. Friendship does need to be a relationship that’s longstanding, but you can cycle through several longstanding friendships in the course of your life. So, it isn’t that you can only stay friends with the people you knew when you were young, of course, because plenty of people do make friends in adulthood and those can become closer friends.

If a relationship is not healthy or even if it’s just not serving you well—if it’s not positive, if it’s really draining, or if it’s lopsided and one of you is always helping the other but not vice versa—that’s not so great. I think people need to realize that it is OK to walk away from friendships that aren’t good ones.   KN: That seems like the flipside of all the amazing benefits that we get when we have strong friendships: There’s a lot of potential for pain when we have difficult, conflict-ridden relationships.  

LD: Just like a strong relationship is good for you, a negative relationship is bad for you. Even an ambivalent relationship is bad for you, it turns out, biologically.

An ambivalent relationship is a relationship where you have positive feelings and negative feelings about the person or about your interactions with them. And that’s true of a lot of our relationships—almost half.  

Researchers had a scale of one to five: How positive does this relationship make you feel, and how negative does this relationship make you feel? Anybody who was two or above on both things counted as ambivalent, which is really broad. You could be five on the good and two on the bad. What was interesting was that any relationship that was categorized as ambivalent seemed to generate cardiovascular issues and other kinds of health problems.  

It’s not as surprising that a toxic relationship would be bad for your health. But I think that the problem with ambivalent relationships, which a lot of us have many of, is more surprising. I think most people suspect that the good outweighs the bad, and so far (it’s early days in that research) it doesn’t look that way.

I think that all this is a reminder of the importance of working on relationships—all of them, but including your friendships. There’s real value in a positive friendship.

If it isn’t positive, then you can do a couple of things. One is you can try to make it better, work on it, have a hard conversation, perhaps. Two is you quit and you say, “I’m not going to have this person in my life,” but that can be very dramatic. And three would be that you shuffle that friend to the outer circles of your social life. Maybe it’s not someone you can easily stop seeing, but if you don’t rely on them emotionally anymore, then that’s better for you.  

KN: Are there some practices you would suggest or steps that you take in your own life to put more time and energy into friendship?  

LD: It really does just begin as simply as paying attention and prioritizing. I try regularly to plan to get together with my close friends and the people I care about seeing a lot. We all have relatively busy lives, but I, first of all, make an effort to make the plan, and then I make an effort to get there—to show up. I think showing up is a really critical piece of friendship, in every sense of the phrase.  

It could just be that you don’t have time to get together with someone for dinner for weeks, so you have a phone call and you catch up that way. Taking time to catch up on somebody’s life and hear what’s going on with them is an important indicator of it’s worth my time to know what’s going on in your life . 

In addition, I think it’s useful to remember that science has clarified the definition of a quality relationship. It has to have these minimum three things: It’s a stable, longstanding bond; it’s positive; and it’s cooperative—it’s helpful, reciprocal, I’m there for you, you’re there for me .  

When you’re interacting with your friends, you should be thinking about your side of it. Am I contributing to that? Have I been helpful lately? When was the last time I said something nice or told somebody why I appreciated them or did something nice for someone? Am I a reliable presence in that person’s life? You can think about the way you interact with your friends as needing to fall into those buckets, at a minimum.

The same thing goes for the online, as well: being positive, being helpful, showing up from a distance, whether that’s just checking in by text or sending a funny joke or forwarding an article or calling—making time. People have been stressed and anxious lately, so we need to be there and provide an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, even virtually.  

KN: Right now, people in many places haven’t seen their friends for months. What do we miss out on when we can’t be around our friends in person?  

LD: There’s a richness to being with your friends in person, and it hits all your senses. So, we’re not getting any of the tactile sense of being with our friends, and there’s a difference when you see them on a screen vs. when you see them in person, although we don’t entirely know in neuroscientific terms what those differences are yet.  

One of the things our brains do automatically when we’re having a conversation with someone in person is this natural sense of “call and response,” that I’m talking, and then you respond, and then you talk and I respond. We are reading each other’s cues in a way that makes it easier to do that.

When you’re online, sometimes not only is there a little bit of an artificialness to the interaction but there’s literally a lag that’s built in from the technology, and that is quite off-putting for our brains. Our brains recognize that as a different kind of interaction, and they don’t like it very much. I think that’s one reason why some people are being driven crazy by Zoom. And if you have a group on Zoom, it’s very hard figuring out who’s going to speak next. There’s a way that we handle that with nonverbal cues in person that is harder to pull off virtually.  

When you’re in person, you can have a much more natural conversation. There’s an ease and a warmth and a naturalness that we get when we’re with our friends, and I think we really are missing the ability to hug them and high five—that’s big stuff that matters a lot. So, it’s a loss.

That said, people are reporting a lot of positive experiences, even remotely. We’re being forced to interact virtually, but we’re getting a lot of benefits out of it. It’s not the same, but it’s a whole lot better than nothing. Limited though it is, technology has been a lifesaver in this moment. I can’t imagine what this would have been like if we didn’t have it.  

KN: What do you most hope people will take away from the book?

LD: That they will make friendship a priority, that they will call a friend and work harder on thinking about the importance of being a good friend, that parents will think about talking to kids about the importance of friendship and modeling being a good friend and prioritizing it. Parents are full of messages about achievement, and not as many messages about what it means to be a good friend, but I think it’s one of the most important skills that a child can develop. Through all our lives, the importance of friendship has been hiding in plain sight.

About the Author

Kira M. Newman

Kira M. Newman is the managing editor of Greater Good . Her work has been published in outlets including the Washington Post , Mindful magazine, Social Media Monthly , and Tech.co, and she is the co-editor of The Gratitude Project . Follow her on Twitter!

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The New York Times

Well | when friends are ‘like family’.

When Friends Are ‘Like Family’

A weekly essay exploring the complex connections of modern families.

Well Family

Welcome to Well Family, Well’s new home for news about parenting, child health and relationships with advice from our experts to help every family live well.

“My friends are the sisters I was meant to have,” a woman told me. Another said that her friends are more precious than her sisters because they remember things from her past that her sisters don’t and can’t, since they weren’t there. And a man commented that he didn’t enjoy a particular friend’s company all that much, but it was beside the point: “He’s family.”

I interviewed over 80 people for a book I’m writing about friendship, and was struck by how many said that one or another friend is “like family.”

These comments, and how people explained them, shed light on the nature of friendship, the nature of family, and something that lies at the heart of both: what it means to be close.

For friends, as for family, “close” is the holy grail of relationships. (In both contexts I often heard, “I wish we were closer” but never “I wish we weren’t so close.”)

What people meant by “close” could be very different, but their comments all helped me understand how friends could be like family – and why I often say of my friend Karl, “He’s like my brother.” First is longevity. We met at summer camp when I’d just turned 15, and the seeds of closeness were planted during one of those wondrous extended self-revealing teenage conversations, when we sat side by side behind the dining hall. Our friendship continued and deepened as we exchanged long letters that traversed the distance between our homes in Brooklyn and the Bronx.

After college, Karl was the one I called at 2 a.m. when I made a last-minute decision not to join the Peace Corps. Two decades later, we were traveling together when I showed him the photograph of a man I’d just met, saying, “It’s crazy but I keep thinking I’m going to marry him” – and I did.

I was there when Karl left Brown for Julliard, and, years later, when he came out as gay. Karl knew my parents, my cousins, my first husband and the other friends who have been important in my life, as I knew and know his. I visit his mother in a nursing home just as I’d visit my own, were she still alive. We can refer to anything and anyone in our pasts without having to explain.

If I’m upset about something, I call him; I trust his judgment, though I might not always follow his advice. And finally, maybe most of all, there’s comfort. I feel completely comfortable in his home, and when I’m around him, I can be completely and unselfconsciously myself.

It’s not that we don’t get on each other’s nerves. It’s that we do. A cartoon about a married couple could have been about us: A woman standing in the kitchen is saying to the man before her, “Is there anything else I can do wrong for you?” I sometimes feel that whatever I do within Karl’s view, he’ll suggest I do a different way.

All the elements making our friendship so close that Karl is like a brother were threaded through the accounts of people I interviewed. “We’re close” could mean they talk about anything; or that they see each other often; or that, though they don’t see each other often, when they do, it’s as though no time has passed: They just pick up where they left off. And sometimes “close” meant none of the above, but that they have a special connection, a connection of the heart.

There were also differences in what “anything” meant, in the phrase “We can talk about anything.” Paradoxically, it could be either very important, very personal topics, or insignificant details. A woman said of a friend, “We’re not that close; we wouldn’t talk about problems in our kids’ lives,” but, of another, “We’re not that close; we wouldn’t talk about what we’re having for dinner.”

“Like family” can mean dropping in and making plans without planning: You might call up and say, “I just made lasagna. Why don’t you come over for dinner?” Or you can invite yourself: “I’m feeling kind of low. Can I come over for dinner?”

Many grown children continue to wish that their parents or siblings could see them for who they really are, not who they wish them to be. This goal can be realized in friendship. “She gets me,” a woman said of a friend. “When I’m with her I can be myself.”

It would be easy to idealize family-like friendship as all satisfaction and cheer. And maybe for some lucky people it is. But friends can also resemble family by driving you crazy in similar ways. Why does she insist on washing dishes by hand when dishwashers do a better job of killing germs? Why does he always come exactly five minutes late?

Just as with literal families, friends who are like family can bring not only happiness but also pain, because the comfort of a close bond can sometimes morph into the restraints of bondage. The closer the bond, the greater the power to hurt – by disappointing, letting you down or, the ultimate betrayal, by dying. When a friend dies, a part of you dies, too, as you lose forever the experiences, the jokes, the references that you shared. A woman in her 70s who was mourning her lifelong best friend said the worst part was not being able to call her up and tell her how terrible she felt about her dying.

Sometimes we come to see friends as family because members of the family we grew up with live far away or feel too different, or are just too difficult to deal with. A woman who ended all contact with a sister explained that the option of cutting off a family member who brings you grief is a modern liberation, like the freedom to choose a spouse or divorce one. Holes left by rejected (or rejecting) relatives — or left by relatives lost to distance, death or circumstance — can be filled by friends who are like family. But family-like friends don’t have to be filling holes at all. Like my friend Karl, they can simply add richness, joy and, yes, at times, aggravation, that a literal family – in my case, two sisters I’m very close to — also provides.

Deborah Tannen is a professor of linguistics at Georgetown University and the author of “You Just Don’t Understand!” and “You’re Wearing THAT?”.

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Essay on Importance of Family for Students and Children

500 words essay on importance of family.

In today’s world when everything is losing its meaning, we need to realize the importance of family more than ever. While the world is becoming more modern and advanced, the meaning of family and what stands for remains the same.

A family is a group of people who are related by blood or heritage. These people are linked not only by blood but also by compassion, love, and support. A person’s character and personality are shaped by his or her family. There are various forms of families in today’s society. It is further subdivided into a tight and extended family (nuclear family, single parent, step-family, grandparent, cousins, etc.)

Family – A synonym for trust, comfort, love, care, happiness and belonging. Family is the relationship that we share from the moment we are born into this world. People that take care of us and help us grow are what we call family, and they become lifelines for us to live. Family members have an important role in deciding an individual’s success or failure in life since they provide a support system and source of encouragement.

It does not matter what kind of family one belongs to. It is all equal as long as there are caring and acceptance. You may be from a joint family, same-sex partner family, nuclear family, it is all the same. The relationships we have with our members make our family strong. We all have unique relations with each family member. In addition to other things, a family is the strongest unit in one’s life.

Things That Strengthens The Family

A family is made strong through a number of factors. The most important one is of course love. You instantly think of unconditional love when you think of family. It is the first source of love you receive in your life It teaches you the meaning of love which you carry on forever in your heart.

Secondly, we see that loyalty strengthens a family. When you have a family, you are devoted to them. You stick by them through the hard times and celebrate in their happy times. A family always supports and backs each other. They stand up for each other in front of a third party trying to harm them proving their loyalty.

Most importantly, the things one learns from their family brings them closer. For instance, we learn how to deal with the world through our family first. They are our first school and this teaching strengthens the bond. It gives us reason to stand by each other as we share the same values.

No matter what the situation arises, your family will never leave you alone. They will always stand alongside you to overcome the hardships in life. If anyone is dealing with any kind of trouble, even a small talk about it to the family will make ones’ mind lighter and will give them a sense of hope, an inner sense of strength to fight those problems.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Importance of Family

One cannot emphasize enough on the importance of family. They play a great role in our lives and make us better human beings. The one lucky enough to have a family often do not realize the value of a family.

However, those who do not have families know their worth. A family is our source of strength. It teaches us what relationships mean. They help us create meaningful relationships in the outside world. The love we inherit from our families, we pass on to our independent relationships.

Moreover, families teach us better communication . When we spend time with our families and love each other and communicate openly, we create a better future for ourselves. When we stay connected with our families, we learn to connect better with the world.

Similarly, families teach us patience. It gets tough sometimes to be patient with our family members. Yet we remain so out of love and respect. Thus, it teaches us patience to deal better with the world. Families boost our confidence and make us feel loved. They are the pillars of our strength who never fall instead keep us strong so we become better people.

We learn the values of love, respect, faith, hope, caring, cultures, ethics, traditions, and everything else that concerns us through our families. Being raised in a loving household provides a solid foundation for anyone.

People develop a value system inside their family structure in addition to life lessons. They learn what their family considers to be proper and wrong, as well as what the community considers to be significant.

Families are the epicentres of tradition. Many families keep on traditions by sharing stories from the past over the years. This allows you to reconnect with family relatives who are no longer alive. A child raised in this type of household feels as if they are a part of something bigger than themselves. They’ll be proud to be a part of a community that has had ups and downs. Communities thrive when families are strong. This, in turn, contributes to a robust society.

Q.1 What strengthens a family?

A.1 A family’s strength is made up of many factors. It is made of love that teaches us to love others unconditionally. Loyalty strengthens a family which makes the members be loyal to other people as well. Most importantly, acceptance and understanding strengthen a family.

Q.2 Why is family important?

A.2 Families are very important components of society and people’s lives. They teach us a lot about life and relationships. They love us and treat us valuably. They boost our self-confidence and make us feel valued. In addition, they teach us patience to deal with others in a graceful and accepting manner.

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Mental Health/Psychology

Why Friends May Be More Important Than Family

F riends become increasingly important to health and happiness as people age, according to new research in the journal Personal Relationships . They’re so crucial, in fact, that having supportive friendships in old age was found to be a stronger predictor of wellbeing than having strong family connections.

The new paper explores the findings of two studies about relationships. In the first, involving more than 270,000 people in nearly 100 countries, author William Chopik found that both family and friend relationships were associated with better health and happiness overall. But at advanced ages, the link remained only for people who reported strong friendships.

“I went into the research sort of agnostic to the role of friendship,” says Chopik, assistant professor of psychology at Michigan State University. “But the really surprising thing was that, in a lot of ways, relationships with friends had a similar effect as those with family—and in others, they surpassed them.”

For the other study, Chopik analyzed a separate survey of nearly 7,500 older people in the U.S. Here, he found that it wasn’t just important to have friends, but that the quality of those friendships also mattered.

When people said their friends were a source of strain, they reported having more chronic illnesses. (Interestingly, that was not the case for people who reported strain from their spouses and children.) When their friends were a source of support, people were happier.

None of this is particularly surprising, says Chopik. After all, unlike our family, we can choose our friends. “A few studies show that we often enjoy our time with friends more than with family,” he says. “We do leisurely things with friends, whereas family events are often serious or maybe a little monotonous.”

MORE : You Asked: How Many Friends Do I Need?

The benefits of having close pals may also be stronger for older people because, by that point, those friendships have stood the test of time. “You have kept those people around because they have made you happy, or at least contributed to your wellbeing in some way,” says Chopik. “Across our lives, we let the more superficial friendships fade, and we’re left with the really influential ones.”

But Chopik says the power of friendship on physical and mental health is often ignored in research—especially in older people, where relationships with spouses and children are often considered more important.

And while it’s true that family members are often the people who provide caregiving support to the elderly, he says this can also create a sense of obligation. These relationships are certainly beneficial and often vital, Chopik adds. But they may not provide as much joy as those with long-time friends do.

Of course, some people can share powerful friendships with their siblings, spouses, children and other family members—and that’s a positive, too, says Chopik. “The general point is that the more support, the more positive interactions, the better,” he says. “The important thing is having people you can rely on, for the good times as well as the bad.”

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101 Family Relationships Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best family relationships topic ideas & essay examples, 🥇 most interesting family relationships topics to write about, 📌 simple & easy family relationships essay titles, ❓ research questions about family relationships.

My Belief About Family Relationships I have chosen to discuss my belief about family relationships instead and how my father and family play an important role in shaping that belief. That is my belief in life and I know that […]
Family Relationship Analysis with Use of Genogram When we look at John and Mary’s relationship, we see that they have a close and stable relationship, which may have influenced their children’s and grandchildren’s communication patterns.
Conflict Communication in Family Relationships People in conflict have to be ready to analyze their situations and problems to achieve the goals and come to a certain conclusion.
Platonic and Familial Relationships in Emerging Adulthood One of the main factors that can and should be used to resolve problems in platonic relationships is boundaries. The advice that can be given to young adults is that emotional connection and mutual support […]
Family Types, Relationships and Dynamics In the case of a consanguine family, the relationship with the family is more absolute in that expenses, food, and other aspects related to living within the same “roof” are shared.
Family Relationships Role in the Business It seems that Barry Jr, as well as the other shareholders, failed to implement family talents and skills in an effective way.
Modern Families: Intimate and Personal Relationships Since Queen’s family lived in the United States and my family resided in England, this paper presents an integrated comparison of household aspects in the two countries.
Home, Work, and Relationships in Modern Families The study found that parents were in one room without their children for less than 10% of the observed time. Another finding from the article was that 77% of families ate dinner together at least […]
Managing Interpersonal Relationships in Family Since there has been limited communication with my family, no person was aware of the project and the sensitivity of the compromised information.
“Twisted” by Laurie Halse Anderson: Family Relationships As a result, Tyler wants to commit suicide he takes his father’s gun, and it may be regarded as a symbol of the boy’s wish to leave his father guilty for his death. However, in […]
Family Relationship: Life-Span Development The majority of middle-aged individuals try to preserve a good connection with their families because they realize their parents are old and all they want is quality time.
Relationship: Communication Between Family Members Undoubtedly, family is one of the essential elements in a society where the individual is considered in their “full measure,” and accordingly, in each family, there are unique and individual ways and methods of interaction.
“Family Relationships in What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona” by S. Alexie Victor’s father had died of a heart attack, and the journey to his funeral is at the center of the tale.
Sociology of the Family: Love and Relationships Romantically entangled pair dates continuously, and the primary objective of this type of relationship, especially in college, is to provide company, and it is more of a necessity in high school.
Family Relationship, Childhood Delinquency, Criminality In regard to the relationship between the effect of various factors involved in a child’s upbringing and the likelihood of becoming a criminal during adulthood, varied findings were made.
Modality of Family Faith and Meanings and Relationships in Family Life The theme of this study is to investigate two broad categories of modalities of faith in family life: first, what they value or seek, and how they relate to God or to others and the […]
Family Relationships in Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper Being the brain and the intellectual reason of the family, the husband wisely guides the ship of his matrimonial unit through all the possible mishaps and traps and takes the necessary precautions in order to […]
Family Relationship: Lawrence and Joyce The revolt of Stephen Dedalus begins in Joyce’s The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man with his rejection of the blind religious attitude found existing in his family.
Family Relationships of an Anorexic Person The rest of the poem confused and inspired me as a reader because Smith, as well as millions of people around the globe, proved the impossibility to have one particular definition of anorexia in modern […]
Stepfamily Relationships: The Blended Family Interview The third question concerned such appearances and the overall degree of the man’s attachment to the child. The sixth question was about the introduction itself and the child’s reception of it.
American Family Relationships: Dynamics Alterations The identified shift in the values and behaviors of young people has affected the structure of a modern American family to a certain extent.
Counseling Interview in Family and Relationship Therapy My choice of questions for the interviewees on matters related to life, relationship and family will be designed as linear and systematic questions to aid in formulating an assessment.
Sociology of Family: Control and Violence in Relationships In the last type of intimate violence, situational couple violence, the individual might be violent, but the partner is not, even though the aspect of control is not present.
Family Systems and Relationship Development With the advent of the concept of family systems, the importance of the family unit can now be approached from a different perspective.
Family and Relationships: New Tendencies For instance, one of the apparent advantages of online dating is the lack of awkwardness peculiar to face-to-face communication, especially during first meetings. That is why more research is needed to conduct the in-depth investigation […]
Family Relationships in Media and Theories Understanding the way in which relationships are built between family members, as well as learning about the nature of the connection between family members, is crucial to the identification of the existing issues and their […]
Family Relationships: Psychological Inquiry When parents exert excessive control on the lives their children, the ties that should exist in the family break and the victims develop hatred and aggression.
Literature Review and Research Methodology Draft: Effects of Internet Addiction on Family Relationships Among Teenagers The focus of the literature review will be to find information on effects of the internet on family members and also to determine the current state of research as regards to the effects of the […]
Staff & Family Relationship and Communication Information sharing amid families and staff is crucial in the daily updates of occurrences in the school; furthermore, there are several ways of attaining this concept. The family fraternity should be invited at the start […]
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans and How Family Relationships Are Affected Both qualitative and quantitative data shall be used with numbers being used to provide evidence of the occurrence and magnitude of the effects of the condition on the population.
Aggression and the Role of Family Relationships in Aggression
Conflicts That Appear Within the Sphere of Family Relationships
Destructive and Productive Family Relationships: A Stewardship Theory Perspective
Family Relationships and Support Systems in Emerging Adulthood
The Impact of Family Relationships on School Bullies and Their Victims
Social and Family Relationships of Ex‐Institutional Adolescents
Patterns of Interaction in Family Relationships and the Development of Identity Exploration in Adolescence
Theories of Family Relationships and a Family Relationships Theoretical Model
Can Addressing Family Relationships Improve Outcomes in Chronic Disease?
Communication, Conflict, and the Quality of Family Relationships
Family Relationships and Adolescent Pregnancy Risk
Current Concepts About Schizophrenics and Family Relationships
The Family and Family Relationships, 1500-1900: England, France, and the United States of America
The Role of Social Support and Family Relationships in Women’s Responses to Battering
Family Relationships and Their Correlations With Transsexual Well-Being
Impact of Family Relationships on Attitudes of the Second Generation in Family Business
Post‐Divorce Family Relationships as Mediating Factors in the Consequences of Divorce for Children
From Contract to Status: Collaboration and the Evolution of Novel Family Relationships
Family Caregiver Role and Burden Related to Gender and Family Relationships
Influence of Family Relationships on Succession Planning and Training: The Importance of Mediating Factors
Family Contexts as Cognitive Networks: A Structural Approach of Family Relationships
Perceived Family Relationships of Bullies, Victims, and Bully/Victims in Middle Childhood
Examining the Effect of Incarceration and In-Prison Family Contact on Prisoners’ Family Relationships
Extended Family Relationships, Social Support, and Mental Health in a Southern Black Community
Religion’s Role in Organizing Family Relationships: Family Process in Rural, Two-Parent African American Families
Educational Inequality and Family Relationships: Influences on Contact and Proximity
Enacting Family Relationships in Joint Storytelling About Difficult Family Experiences
Dysfunctional Family Relationships Among Canadians
Financial Stress, Family Relationships, and Australian Youths’ Transitions From Home and School
Intergenerational Family Relationships: An Evaluation of Theory and Measurement
Children’s Internet Use in a Family Context: Influence on Family Relationships and Parental Mediation
Family Involvement in the Nursing Home: Family‐Oriented Practices and Staff-Family Relationships
Conflict Resolution: Links With Adolescents’ Family Relationships and Individual Well-Being
Interdependence and the Interpersonal Sense of Control: An Analysis of Family Relationships
Conversational Remembering and Family Relationships: How Children Learn to Remember?
Implications of Overwork and Overload for the Quality of Men’s Family Relationships
Feminist Theory and Research on Family Relationships: Pluralism and Complexity
Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid: Topic Avoidance in Family Relationships
Authority, Autonomy, and Family Relationships Among Adolescents in Urban and Rural China
Changing the Ties That Bind: How Incarceration Impacts Family Relationships?
What Makes Good Family Relationships?
What Are Family Relationships in Simple Words?
How Do You Build Strong Family Relationships?
What Are the Roles and Family Relationships in a Common Family?
Why Is It Important to Have Good Family Relationships?
How Do You Cope With Family Relationships Problems?
What Is an Example of Family Relationships?
What Are the Five Most Important Things in Family Relationships?
What Are the Four Types of Family Relationships?
How Many Types of Family Relationships Are There?
What Are Meaningful Family Relationships?
What Makes Successful Family Relationships?
What Are the Five Characteristics of Healthy Family Relationships?
What Are Common Family Relationships Problems?
Why Are Family Relationships Difficult?
What Are Unhealthy Family Relationships?
What Role Does Love Play in Family Relationships?
How Does Family Size Directly Affect Family Relationships?
Has Technology Had a Positive or Negative Effect on Family Relationships?
What Is the Positive Effect of Technology on Your Family Relationships?
How Technological Advancement Has Affected Family Relationships?
Why Are Family Relationships Important?
How Do Cellphones Affect Family Relationships?
What Are Considered Family Relationships?
What Are the Seven Ways to Build Family Relationships?
What Are the Three Common Problems of Teenagers in Family Relationships?
How Does Alcohol Affect Family Relationships?
What Are Men’s Roles in the Family Relationships?
What Is a Man’s Responsibility in Family Relationships?
Why Do a Man and a Woman Need to Create Good Family Relationships?
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Band 8 Essay Samples

Some People Say Friends Are More Important Than Family | Band 8 IELTS Essay Sample

by Manjusha Nambiar · Published December 29, 2021 · Updated April 11, 2024

Sample essay

Friends may come and go but family is constant. It is often said that friends are more important than family. In my opinion, this is not true. This essay will explain why family is more important than friends.

Friends are important and the nature of friendship changes as children grow up into adults. We form newer friendships as we age and it may or may not be feasible to maintain the same level of closeness with all of them. Friends also have their own families, responsibilities and priorities to take care of. Hence, it becomes difficult to completely rely on them in time of hardships. We may also lose touch with some friends due to our hectic schedules and thus they may not be approachable in times of need. Hence, while it is important to have friends, due to the transient nature of this relationship, it is not always bankable.

Family is the only constant throughout our life. While there may be difference of opinions and arguments within the family, it is certain that they will always have each other’s back in times of need. They will invariably be there for each other during the good and the difficult times. For instance, studies have shown that people who stay with their family and who have good relationships with them are happier and healthier. Thus, family is more important than friendship in life.

To conclude, while it is necessary to have friends in life, they are not more important than family. Friends have their own families to take care of and the only people who will stand by us at all times are our family members.

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Are friends better for us than family?

The power of friendship gets stronger with age and may even be more important than family relationships, indicates new research by a Michigan State University scholar. In a pair of studies involving nearly 280,000 people, William Chopik found that friendships become increasingly important to one’s happiness and health across the lifespan. Not only that, but in older adults, friendships are actually a stronger predictor of health and happiness than relationships with family members. “Friendships become even more important as we age,” said Chopik, assistant professor of psychology. “Keeping a few really good friends around can make a world of difference for our health and well-being. So it’s smart to invest in the friendships that make you happiest.” For the first study, Chopik analyzed survey information about relationships and self-rated health and happiness from 271,053 participants of all ages from nearly 100 countries. The second study looked at data from a separate survey about relationship support/strain and chronic illness from 7,481 older adults in the United States. According to the first study, both family and friend relationships were linked to better health and happiness overall, but only friendships became a stronger predictor of health and happiness at advanced ages. The second study also showed that friendships were very influential – when friends were the source of strain, participants reported more chronic illnesses; when friends were the source of support, participants were happier. Chopik said that may be because of the optional nature of relationships – that over time, we keep the friends we like and make us feel good and discard the rest. Friends also can provide a source of support for people who don’t have spouses or for those who don’t lean on family in times of need. Friends can also help prevent loneliness in older adults who may experience bereavement and often rediscover their social lives after they retire. Family relationships are often enjoyable too, Chopik said, but sometimes they involve serious, negative and monotonous interactions. “There are now a few studies starting to show just how important friendships can be for older adults. Summaries of these studies show that friendships predict day-to-day happiness more and ultimately how long we’ll live, more so than spousal and family relationships,” he said. Friendships often take a “back seat” in relationships research, Chopik added, which is strange, especially considering that they might be more influential for our happiness and health than other relationships. “Friendships help us stave off loneliness but are often harder to maintain across the lifespan,” he said. “If a friendship has survived the test of time, you know it must be a good one – a person you turn to for help and advice often and a person you wanted in your life.” The study appears online in the journal Personal Relationships.

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Story Source:

Materials provided by Michigan State University . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

WILLIAM J. CHOPIK. Associations among relational values, support, health, and well-being across the adult lifespan . Personal Relationships , 2017; 24 (2): 408 DOI: 10.1111/pere.12187

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The Importance of Friendship

Friendships are a crucial part of living a fulfilling life..

Posted July 26, 2021 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

Friendship makes life more enjoyable and enriches one's everyday experiences.
Finding friends can be challenging but can be often achieved by approaching others with mutual interests.
The first criteria one should look for in a partner is someone who is ultimately a good friend to them.

As we move through life, we find that there are many things out of our control. We can’t choose our parents, our genetics , or control the things that happen in the world around us. One thing that we can control is who our friends are, and this decision can either make our lives so much richer and beautiful, or more stressful and disappointing. Today we’ll focus on how to choose friends who enrich our lives and make them more beautiful.

Why friends are so important

Having solid friendships is important for two main reasons. First, they make life more enjoyable. We get to share the beautiful aspects of life with people who we love, which can enrich our everyday experiences. Second, our friends help us through the difficult times. Having friends to support us through hard times can make unimaginably difficult situations seem more tolerable.

The most beautiful part about pouring our time and energy into friendships is that not only do friends help enrich our lives, but we enrich theirs too! Friendships get us through the tough times in life, make things more fun and enjoyable, and all-around make our lives better. I urge you to take stock of your friendships and ask yourself if your current friends people build you up and support you, or is the friendship more one-sided?

As we explore friendships today, these are also inclusive of our partners. I believe that the foundation for any healthy relationship is friendship. So it’s important to group our romantic partners into this conversation too.

So, where do we find friends? This might sound silly, but finding friends can be challenging! When I first moved to California for my Ph.D., I didn’t have any friends out here. There were quite a few people in my program that I enjoyed spending time with. But, towards the end of school, they became very busy and were no longer able to dedicate time to hang out anymore. Thankfully, through the help of a very good therapist, I learned that it was important to enjoy life instead of striving for excellence all of the time. As a result, I learned how important it was to carve out time in my life for friends.

Unfortunately, the people I had dedicated time to thus far were achievement-oriented and were pouring their time into work and not our friendships. This forced me to seek out other ways to form connections with people. I ended up finding a local hiking group with the hopes of meeting people with similar interests. During one of these hikes, I met Jim, one of my best friends to this day.

We became instant friends. We have continued to support each other over the years, and even more importantly, we always make time for one another. We both view the friendship as one that makes each other’s lives better, therefore it’s always worth the time and energy. The backbone of any successful friendship is one where both sides put in equal effort and support.

Both Jim and I were forced to put in more effort when he moved across the country to the East Coast. Because we already had such a strong foundation, this didn’t impact our friendship. We talk all of the time and see each other several times a year. We make the relationship a priority no matter what coast each other is on. Like anything in life that is valuable to us, we must work at it and put time and effort into it.

When it's time to move on from a friendship

The second part of the friendship discussion can be a difficult one — reassessing your current friendships and potentially moving on from friends who don’t add value to your life.

Two of my best friends from high school went down different paths from me. We still keep in contact, but I don’t spend too much time with them anymore. The supporting, loving part of our relationship wasn’t there anymore, so it was no longer worth putting energy into maintaining a friendship that had changed so much.

This may be a story you can relate to. What I hope you take away from this post is this — friendships take energy, time, and commitment. And if you’re putting your time and energy into someone who isn’t enriching your life and giving you the support you need, it may be time to reevaluate that friendship.

If you find yourself in the market for friends (who isn’t?) I recommend you find groups or activities that you genuinely enjoy. This way you’ll have the opportunity to connect with people who have similar interests. And once you’re there, take a risk! Talk to people, exchange contact information, and follow up with them. It may feel scary at first, but the reward outweighs the momentary uncomfortable feeling you may have.

Friendship and dating

In many ways, the most important friendship in our lives is the one we have with our romantic partners. The first criteria we should look for in this partner is someone who is ultimately a good friend to us, meaning that they are kind, positive, loving, and supportive. If we’re dating someone and they’re a jerk, it’s probably safe to assume that they’re not a good friend. To avoid this, I recommend seeking out someone who is a good friend first, i.e. before the romance and sexual stuff gets in the way.

When there are bumps in a friendship or a romantic relationship , it’s important to work through those tough times. The tricky part is that it will take two people to fix that issue. We can only control our actions and hold ourselves accountable, but we cannot control our friend or our partner's reaction. In addition to our own actions, we have control over the friends or partners that we choose in the first place. If we prioritize choosing good people who we can trust will work through issues with us, then we can work through anything.

Friendships are a crucial part of living a fulfilling life. It’s so important that we surround ourselves with people who we have fun with, who support us, and people who make us better. You may already have beautiful friendships in your life, but if you’re still in the market for friends, it’s never too late to cultivate new relationships that will make your life even more magnificent.

Robert Puff, Ph.D. , is host and producer of the Happiness Podcast, with over 16 million downloads.

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Descriptive Essay: Friends and Family

Friends and Family are some of the most important people in someones life because they will always be there for you. There are so many different memories that I have and there is one special item that reminds me of them all. Its a photo in my kitchen and its right by the kitchen table.

The photo is of something very unusual. Its of a bagel garden. In the right top corner of the picture there is a bit of light gray side walk right along a black wrought iron fence. The fence covers the top of the artwork as well. The whole way along the inside of the fence, there square shaped shrubs, which are about half the height of the fence. Beside the row of shrubs on the right side, there is a small path made of the kind of gravel you would put in a fish tank. The gravel has a tiny bit of a purple color. The path turns left at the bottom of the picture and continues along the bottom. On the path there are two rows of bagels on the ground. The bagels are plain. In all there are about twenty-four bagels that are visible in the picture.

In the section that would be the middle of the garden, but what takes up about half of the left side of the picture is more shrubs. These shrubs are made to form the outline of a square flower bed. The inside of the square formed with shrubs is filled with dirt. Planted in the dirt are little pink flower plants. They look like mini circle bushes with little pink flowers at the top. There are twenty-two flowers visible. The pink is a light pink.

It was this photo that, when I looked at it, gave me all the memories of family and friends back. I don’t spend way to much time in my kitchen, but seeing this photo reminded me of a time that I had a lot of fun.

The room smelled like nail polish, spa supplies, and lotion. I was having a spa sleepover birthday party type of thing. We were in my kitchen doing manicures. I had my feet in a foot bath. The bubbles swarming around. My friends were doing a 1 minute manicure scrub in the sink. It smelled like passion fruit. While my feet were soaking, one of my other friends was doing my fingernails. The sound of running water, laughing, along with a mixture of crickets from outside filled the room. Soon I had hands under the running water. I was using the manicure scrub. It was bright orange. It was a mixture of gooey and gritty. As I scrubbed my hands I laughed with my friends and realized how much fun I was having. It was the best birthday party I had ever had.

When I remembered this story, it helped me realize that my friends are some of the most important people in my life. I also realized that I had some of the best friends in the world. They are always there for me. I think that during that night, I laughed more than ever before.

My mom was just finishing up dinner. I was excited. I started jumping up and down, almost bouncing, like a rubber band ball.

“Settle down, its almost done.” my mom said.

I was a little kid, and my mom was making my favorite dish for dinner. I could smell it baking in the oven. It was tuna casserole and it smelled like tuna, but not in a bad way. My mom started to serve it. I could hear the dishes clanking together as she took them over to the kitchen table.

“Yum, tuna casserole.” My dad said as he sat down.

I sat down in my spot next to my dad. As I was eating and savoring the taste in my mouth, I looked around. I realized that the reflection of the fork on the wall was a tiny bit of light. I thought of a fairy.

“Mommy, daddy, look. It looks like a fairy!” I said to my parents in a high-pitched mouse-like voice.

I started playing with the reflection on the wall. That became a normal dinner thing when I was little.

I hadn’t thought about those times at dinner when I was little for a long time. By remembering it, I realized how important family was. I always knew they were important but I never really noticed how much. They mean so much to me. They are the people who will always be on your side no matter what happens. I will never forget that fairy, or any of the other memories of my family because they are so important to me.

Friends and family have their similarities and differences. But they both have one similarity that outweighs all the differences put together. They will always be there for you. Its always nice to feel like you belong and to feel accepted and if there is ever a time when you don’t feel these things, you know theres a place to go. That photo of the bagel garden was only a photo to me in the past, but now I know it has a lot more meaning to it. I never think I will look at the quite same way again.

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My Friends and Family are What Matters

In my life, what matters most to me is my friends and family. Just think, “Where would I be if I had no friends and family.” These people are the most important human beings I know of on Earth. They always get me through rough times when I am down and they are always very understanding of what I am going through. They are my living diary and I can tell them almost anything that is on my mind or something that bothers me. My family matters so much to me in my life. I always ask myself, “What would I do without them.” The truth is, I really don’t know what I would do without them. Life is already as difficult as climbing to the top of Mount Everest. To have my family every step of the way is so reassuring. I can talk to them about my problems and what I am having trouble with. They will try their best to help me and that is all that I ask for. Yeah, sometimes they can be annoying, but still I know they love me and all they are trying to do is help. My family matters to me because they give me a sense of love, joy, and laughter during rough times. I share a great bond with family and that is probably the most important aspect in life. My friends are my second family. I can rely on them even if the world depended on it. That’s how much trust I have in them. If I cannot come to my real family for some reason, I always go to my friends to seek a little guidance. My friends is what keeps me going in life. They always seem to give me that little spark. My friends are my cure for all my sadness, loneliness, or anger that I have upon me and I know for a fact that no medicine can alleviate that pain. They give me a great sense of joy, laughter, and competition. Whether it is playing sports with them or hanging out in the movies together I always know I can have fun. They are my outlet to release all of my energy. My friends are one of the few things that matters most to me in my life. From my perspective, living the dream life is having family and lifelong friends that will support you throughout the whole walk of life. It’s not just having a great deal of money that will buy you everything in life. Yeah, being rich would be cool, but that is an added bonus in life that comes through hard work and determination. If you think that money is the most important thing that matters in life, your wrong and that just means you’re just a self-centered person. What really matters in life is your friends and family that love you. Love and happiness are the greatest things on Earth and that’s what really should matter to you.

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75 condolence messages to offer your love and support

These kind gestures will remind loved ones they're not alone in their grief.

There's no greater sadness than losing a friend or loved one.

In the difficult days following a loss, it's often the support of friends and loved ones that help lesson the pain, bringing comfort and peace during a time of deep sorrow.

“It’s very lonely when you lose someone because your feelings and experience are unique,” Dr. Robin Grant-Hall, clinical psychologist, tells TODAY.com. “People who care need to let the person know that you are there for them.”

However, it's not always easy to know what condolence message to write in a card or to text to someone who is going through a hard time.

According to Grant-Hall, when expressing your sympathy, it's important to recognize the loss , as well as offer someone the much-needed reassurance that in the weeks and months ahead, you'll be there to support them.

To help put your feelings into words, we've gathered a list of condolence messages and sympathy quotes to assist you in composing a text or card.

Though your kind gesture may not ease their sorrow, it will remind them that they are not alone , that you're thinking of them and sharing in the burden of their loss. And nothing means more than that.

Condolence messages to offer support

From across the miles, we send our heartfelt sympathy and healing prayers during this difficult time.
A love that deep never fades in memory, it only grows stronger in your heart. Wishing you peace and comfort during this sad time.
May happy memories help lesson your sorrow during these difficult days. Thinking of you.
Keeping you close in our hearts. Our deepest sympathy.
Please know that I am just a call or text away. Reach out anytime for any reason. I'm here for you now and always.
As you navigate the difficult days ahead, please know that you aren't alone. We are here to help.
Sometimes there are no words for a loss so great. Praying for healing in the days to come. Thinking of you.

A light that dims here on earth, shines that much brighter in the night sky.
A memory on the breeze, a whisper through the trees that says, “They will never be forgotten.”
May love and comfort wrap you in their warm embrace during this difficult time.
In these moments, when there are no words, know that the ones we love remain beside us, now and always.
During this difficult time, may faith, family and friends bring you peace.
The light will be on in my heart for whenever it gets too dark.

Sending you strength today and peace in all the days ahead.
Those we love never truly leave us, but rather remain a song that will forever be carried in the wind.
May every sunrise remind you of the lingering beauty of yesterday's sunset.
Those who live in our memories are never truly gone.

Short condolence messages

“It's so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone.” — John Steinbeck
“There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.” — Mahatma Gandhi
“Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.” — Mark Twain
“Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Only in darkness can you see the stars.” — Martin Luther King Jr.

“Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are.” — Markus Zusak, “I Am the Messenger”
“The wind is us — it gathers and remembers all our voices, then sends them talking and telling through the leaves and the fields.” — Truman Capote
“The stars show us the path but the flowers travel with us.” — Bhuwan Thapaliya

Short condolence messages for the loss of any loved one

The candle may go out, but the memory of its light remains.
We’ve shared so much through the years and I’m here now to share the weight of your loss. Whatever you need, I’m standing by.
Our/my heartfelt condolences for your loss.
Our/my thoughts are with you during this sad time.
Words of sympathy feel inadequate in expressing grief and sorrow for a loss so great. Sending a warm embrace and all my love during this sad time.
Wishing you peace and comfort during these difficult days.

I’m here to lend an ear or shoulder should you need one.
Even when we can’t see them, the stars still shine. Deepest sympathy.
I’m so sad for your loss. Thinking of you.
Sharing in your sorrow and here for you in the days ahead.
Thinking of you and sending my love during this difficult time.
My heart goes out to you and your family. My deepest condolences.

Sending thoughts of comfort and all my love.
If you were here, I’d give you a hug. I’m so sorry for your loss.
With love and remembrance, we share in your sorrow.
There are no words for such a sad time. My condolences.
Caring thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

Condolence messages for the loss of a friend or coworker

Those we love never truly leave us. Sending our love and sympathy to you.
Sending you strength and support during this difficult time.
I wanted to reach out and let you know that I’m here for anything you need. I’m so sorry for your loss.
In this sorrowful time, sending thoughts of comfort and hope that you find strength to get through the difficult days ahead. We’re here for you.
I share in your grief and send you all my love in this time of sadness.

Our deepest sympathy to you and your family. Hoping that the support of loved ones brings you comfort during this sad time.
A hug from me to you to let you know that today and every day, you are in my heart and thoughts. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Gone, but never far from our hearts. Deepest sympathy for your loss.
You need only look in your heart to find what is lost. Sending our condolences to you and your family.
If there wasn’t so much love, it wouldn’t be this hard to say goodbye. Our thoughts are with you.

Condolence messages for the loss of a parent

Your mom was the brightest light in a sky full of stars. Sending love and support during this hard time.
There’s nothing to say to ease the loss of a mother. We are here for you and send our deepest sympathy to you and your family.
In loving memory of your mom. Thinking of you and hoping you find peace and strength in the days ahead.
Mothers never truly leave us. You need only look in your heart and she’ll be there. So sad for your loss.
Wishing you comfort and remembering the kind spirit that was your mom. Our condolences for your loss.

May you find peace and comfort in your father’s memory.
Though I didn’t know your father, I know you, and that means he must have amazing. I’m so sad for your loss.
There isn’t anyone I know who didn’t look up to your dad. He was one of the kindest, most genuine people I ever met. My thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time.
May you always feel his hand on your shoulder and hear his laugh echo in your heart. Our heartfelt condolences for the loss of your father.
It’s hard to say goodbye and even harder when it’s to someone like your dad. He was one-of-a-kind and will be missed by everyone.

Condolence messages for the loss of partner

In loving memory of your husband, a person whose kindness and generous spirit touched the lives of everyone who knew him. He will be so missed.
When something like this happens, it leaves everyone figuring out how to pick up the pieces. There are no words, only love and support during this sorrowful time. I am here for you.
Our deepest condolences on the loss of your beloved husband. He leaves behind an eternal flame in our hearts. Our thoughts are with you.
Even when we cannot see the sun, it is still there, shining down from the sky and spreading its warmth so that we may one day bask in it again.
There are no words for the loss of your wife, a person who was cherished by everyone who knew her. Our thoughts and love are with you in this time of sorrow.
She shined so bright that the memory of her light will never dim. Sending strength and comfort.
Everyone who knew her considered themselves lucky, myself included. I’m here to offer an ear or shoulder should you need one.
In loving memory of your wife: She was loved deeply by everyone who knew her. Hoping the support of friends and family bring you comfort at this difficult time.

Condolence messages for the loss of a family member

Although I never met your sister, I feel like I knew her through you. I’m so sad for your loss and wish you strength in the days ahead.
Your sister was sincerely one of my favorite people and I know she was yours, too. Hoping the love of friends and family see you through this sad time.
In heartfelt memory of your loved one, someone who brought a smile to every occasion. Thinking of you.
Brothers are special. Yours was exceptional. Wishing you peace and comfort at this sad time.
Thinking of your cousin and how much you loved him/her. There’s nothing to say for a loss so great. Our condolences at this sad time.

We are saddened to learn of your loss. Please know that we’re thinking of you and are here for anything you may need.
Remembering your grandmother/grandfather with love at this sad time. Sending condolences to you and your family.
My condolences on the loss of your uncle. I know how special he was to you and hope you find peace during this sad time.
Your (loved one) was completely outrageous — in all the best ways possible. It’s hard to imagine a world without them in it. They leave behind so many wonderful memories, which I hope brings you comfort during these difficult days.
With a loss so great, there are simply no words to ease the pain. If there were, I would use them now. Please know that I’m here.

Find the right words for any occasion

Birthday wishes to send to all the special people in your life
Retirement wishes to celebrate a job well done
The best wishes to write in a wedding card

Sarah is a lifestyle and entertainment reporter for TODAY who covers holidays, celebrities and everything in between.

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Michigan’s Adventure opening for 2024 season on Memorial Day weekend

Published: May. 23, 2024, 12:44 p.m.

People enjoy one of the rides at Camp Snoopy, a family-friendly section of Michigan's Adventure in Muskegon. The theme park will be open to the public this year on Friday, May 24. (Hope Davison | MLive.com) Hope Davision

Skyla Jewell-Hammie | [email protected]

MUSKEGON, MI - Michigan’s largest amusement park is ready to open for the season this weekend.

Michigan’s Adventure, a 250-acre theme park located at 4750 Whitehall Road north of Muskegon, offers families tons of fun with over 60 rollercoaster rides in the amusement park portion and wet attractions in the water park portion.

The opening weekend is May 24-26, scheduled across Memorial Day weekend. Free admission will be available to military members and discounted admission online for friends and family of military members through May 27.

Although there won’t be any new attractions to look forward to this weekend, the fall-themed Trickers and Treats Fall Fest is set to return, along with the addition of two new food stands in the WildWater Adventure Waterpark, which won’t be open until June 8.

Michigan’s Adventure Communications Manager Laure Bollenbach told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle there will be plenty of events geared toward young families this season.

“We have a lot of family rides,” Bollenbach said. “Camp Snoopy is the place to go; we have six attractions for guests to ride with their children, so it’s a great family area.”

For parents eager for an adventure by themselves, she recommends Shivering Timbers and Thunderhawk, the two largest coasters in the park.

Visitors are encouraged to buy season tickets online for a limited time starting at $105 per person. It includes unlimited visits through October, free parking, free entry to Tricks and Treats Fall Fest, discounts and other perks.

Those interested in a day pass can visit online to get savings of as much as $30 off per ticket. Front gate prices start at $60.

Bollenbach said the opening weekend will hopefully bring in large crowds, especially with the forecasted sunny weather.

“I’ve been watching the weather, and it looks like we’re going to have a beautiful weekend, so hopefully families will be able to come and make us part of their Memorial Day weekend,” she said.

Want more Muskegon area news? Bookmark the local Muskegon news page or sign up for the free “3@3 Muskegon” daily newsletter.

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Princeton Celebrates Class Of 2024 At Gary Walters '67 PVC Awards Banquet

May 23, 2024 | Field Hockey, Football, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Fencing, Women's Basketball, Women's Rugby

A Former Leader of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Gang Joins Trump in Court

Chuck Zito, who did time on drug conspiracy charges, has tried to recast his persona as a general-purpose tough guy around town.

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By Matthew Haag and Alan Feuer

May 20, 2024

An entourage of more than a dozen supporters who joined President Donald J. Trump in a Manhattan courthouse on Monday included a former president of an outlaw motorcycle gang in New York City who spent years in prison on drug charges.

The man, Chuck Zito, helped found in the early 1980s the New York Nomads chapter of the Hells Angels, the infamous club that started in California. The Justice Department described the organization as a criminal enterprise and linked the New York chapter to the Gambino crime family. Mr. Zito later left the biker group to try to become a movie star in Hollywood.

Mr. Trump has long shown an affection for macho bikers, and addressed a rally of them in Washington in 2016 before the election. (“Do we love the bikers? Yes. We love the bikers,” he told the crowd.) A group called Bikers for Trump took part in several so-called Stop the Steal rallies after Mr. Trump lost the 2020 election.

Mr. Zito was joined in the courtroom on Monday by several Trump allies who have been charged with crimes.

They included Boris Epshteyn, a legal adviser indicted in an Arizona case related to attempts to keep Mr. Trump in power after the 2020 election, and Bernard Kerik, the former commissioner of the New York Police Department, who was imprisoned for tax-related charges and later pardoned by Mr. Trump. The entourage was so large that Mr. Epshteyn helped coordinate seating.

Mr. Zito has experience with the criminal justice system, having served a prison term from 1985 to 1991 on drug conspiracy charges. In recent decades, he has created a new career as a stuntman and occasional actor, starring most prominently as Chucky “The Enforcer” Pancamo in the HBO prison drama “Oz.”

Mr. Zito is also something of a professional tough-guy-about-town with many acquaintances in New York and Hollywood. He once served as a boxing trainer for the actor Mickey Rourke, and when the mob boss John Gotti died of cancer in 2002, Mr. Zito was one of the few non-Mafia members to attend the wake at a funeral home in Queens.

Matthew Haag writes about the intersection of real estate and politics in the New York region. He has been a journalist for two decades. More about Matthew Haag

Alan Feuer covers extremism and political violence for The Times, focusing on the criminal cases involving the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and against former President Donald J. Trump. More about Alan Feuer

Our Coverage of the Trump Hush-Money Trial

News and Analysis

The defense rested its case after Donald Trump declined to take the stand at his own criminal trial. Closing arguments will take place on May 28.

The testimony of Robert Costello, the main witness for the defense, focused on his relationship with Michael Cohen , Trump’s former fixer and the prosecution’s star witness.

How are conservative and liberal media outlets covering Justice Juan Merchan, the judge in the trial? Here’s a look .

Family says Alaska photographer killed in moose attack knew the risks, died doing what he loved

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The family of an Alaska man fatally attacked by an enraged moose trying to protect her newborn twin calves said he was a nature photographer who knew the risks of taking photos in the wild and died doing what he loved.

Even though there have been some calls for the moose to be killed, Dale Chorman’s family does not want the animal put down because she was only protecting her calves.

Chorman, 70, and a friend were attempting to find the moose and calves to photograph them Sunday when the moose came charging out of the brush, said Chorman’s friend, Tom Kizzia, a Homer, Alaska, author and journalist.

“They both turned to run, and the friend looked back and saw Dale lying on the ground with the moose standing over him,” Kizzia told The Associated Press by phone.

“There was no evident trampling, and they didn’t see any signs of trauma later when they recovered his body,” he said. “I think the medical examiner’s going to try to figure out exactly what happened, whether it was just single blow in the terrible wrong place or something.”

The friend sought help, and by the time medics arrived, Kizzia said the moose had faded back into the woods.

Chorman’s son, Nate Spence-Chorman, posted on social media that Dale was “a loving husband to Dianne, a great father to me and (as you know) a fantastic friend to many.”

The fatal attack occurred on Chorman’s 3-acre property just east of Homer, where every spring moose give birth in a dense scrub forest of alder and elderberry.

Chorman was a builder and carpenter by trade, but also loved being around wildlife. He was a naturalist, an avid birder and a wildlife guide who loved sharing his photos.

“This was not a hapless fool stumbling into danger — this was a person who went out looking for a great photo, knowing the risks, and got caught in a dangerous moment,” his son wrote.

The moose should not be killed, Spence-Chorman wrote. “The ungulate mother need not die. She was just protecting her offspring.”

Even though the death was tragic, Spence-Chorman said his father would have accepted this outcome.

“The truth is, he died doing what he loved,” he wrote.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game normally receives reports of aggressive or unusual moose behavior, said Cyndi Wardlow, a regional supervisor in the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

“In this case, we’re obviously very concerned about public safety,” she said.

“If there was an animal that was behaving in a way that continued to present a public safety threat, then we could possibly put that animal down but we’re not specifically pursuing that course,” she said.

Wardlow encouraged everyone, including the many summer tourists just beginning to arrive in Alaska, to be aware of wildlife and cognizant of their surroundings.

In the case of moose, the largest in the deer family, small adult females can weigh up to 800 pounds, with males twice that. They can also stand up to 6 feet tall at the shoulder.

It’s estimated there are up to 200,000 moose in Alaska.

This is the second fatal moose attack in Alaska in the last three decades.

In 1995, a moose stomped a 71-year-old man to death when he was trying to enter a building on the campus of the University of Alaska Anchorage. Witnesses said students had been throwing snowballs and harassing the moose and its calf for hours, and the animals were agitated when the man tried to walk past them.

Dale Chorman grew up in Painesville, Ohio, but hitchhiked to Alaska in the 1980s, his son said in an email to the AP. He was well-traveled, spending time across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and he visited Antarctica.

He met his wife, Dianne, when she came to Alaska to view bears and he was guiding at a nearby river lodge.

Chorman’s professional guiding work was primarily focused on brown bear photography, but he was passionate about all wildlife, especially birds, his son said. He could identify many species of birds by their calls alone and sometimes taught “birding by ear” classes in Homer.

Homer is located on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, about 220 miles south of Anchorage.

The Associated Press

Dear Abby: Ex-friend reaches out – for cash gift

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Watch live: karen read murder trial day 17: brian higgins expected to testify, things to do.

Jeanne Phillips, aka Dear Abby (Photo courtesy Andrews McMeel Syndication)

Gene was gracious and inviting if I called him, but he never called me. Instead, he focused on friends he could benefit from professionally and withdrew from old friends like me. About 20 years ago, I stopped calling him and decided to move on with other friends who were more congenial and courteous.

You could count on one hand how many times I’ve seen or spoken to Gene in the past 10 years, but today I received a graduation invitation from his son who wants a cash gift for his high school graduation. Abby, his son wouldn’t know me if I tapped him on the shoulder. To say I was appalled is an understatement.

I feel no obligation to send money to someone I don’t know, and even less than that given the way Gene abandoned our decades-long friendship years ago. How can I handle this tactfully without coming across as rude or bitter? — Shocked in the Bluegrass State

Dear Shocked: The polite way to handle it would be to send the young man a congratulatory card, wishing him well.

Dear Abby: I just said goodbye to my third beloved pet. Even though it has gotten easier over time, each passing has been devastating, and I have grieved deeply over their loss. When my mom passed a few years back, I was with her during that peaceful moment. I felt sadness, but nothing approaching the level as it has been with my pets.

My father’s time is growing near, yet I don’t feel sadness. I have had loving relationships with my parents, but not like some of my friends who described their parents as their rock or their best friend.

I’m worried that I lack something in my heart, and I should be feeling a greater loss for humans than for pets. Please help me make sense of this. I don’t feel OK. — Grieving Differently in Florida

Dear Grieving: Please accept my sympathy for the loss of your pet, and please stop flogging yourself for your feelings (or lack thereof). Everyone grieves differently. It is possible that you were able to accept the death of your mother because you were no longer interacting with her on the emotional level your friends did with their parents. The same may be true for your father.

Your pets, on the other hand, were a source of emotional support on a daily basis. Sometimes pets become the equivalents of children, and the loss of that “child” can be more painful than losing one’s parents.

Dear Abby: A very dear relative has just announced her engagement. This will be her third marriage. Are gifts necessary? — Hope Not in Nebraska

Dear Hope Not: If you attend the festivities, you shouldn’t come empty-handed. Some sort of gift is necessary. However, if you have generously shelled out for your relative’s first two marriages, your third gift need only be something modest you think the couple might enjoy.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com

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Dear Abby: Ex-friend reaches out
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