Friendship and Health

 

I'm a little late getting this newsletter out this month because I had friends in visiting from out of town for the July 4th Holiday.  As a matter of fact, in the past 2 months, I've had 3 different friends from other states come down here to visit me and bring their families.  I have a great group of friends scattered up and down the east coast that I talk to regularly and visit as often as possible.  They are my support group and my sounding board.  There is a quote that goes something like this:

 

 "True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost."
- Charles Caleb Colton

 

Recent studies have shown a strong connection between a good group of friends and longevity and health.  In fact, A network of good friends, rather than close family ties, helps you live longer in older age, suggests research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

 

The research team drew on data from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ALSA), which began in 1992 in Adelaide, South Australia. The study aimed to assess how economic, social, behavioural and environmental factors affected the health and wellbeing of people aged 70 and upwards.  In total, almost 1500 people were asked how much personal and phone contact they had with their various social networks, including children, relatives, friends, and confidants.

 

Survival was monitored over 10 years. The group was monitored annually for the first four years of the study and then at approximately three yearly intervals.  The research team also considered the impact of factors likely to influence survival rates, such as socioeconomic status, health, and lifestyle.

 

Close contact with children and relatives had little impact on survival rates over the 10 years. But a strong network of friends and confidants significantly improved the chances of survival over that period.  Those with the strongest network of friends and confidants lived longer than those with the fewest friends/confidants.

 

The beneficial effects on survival persisted across the decade, irrespective of other profound changes in individuals' lives, including the death of a spouse or close family members, and the relocation of friends to other parts of the country.

 

So if you have some friends that you haven't talked to in a while, call them up, invite them over for a cookout this summer.  It could increase the quality and quantity of years to your life.  To all my friends, thanks for adding some years to my life and life to my years.

 

Laughter Therapy

 

THE PERFECT HUSBAND

 

Several men are in the locker room of a golf club. A cell phone on a bench rings and a man engages the hands free speaker-function and begins to talk. Everyone else in the room stops to listen. >

 

MAN: "Hello."
WOMAN: "Honey, it's me. Are you at the club?"
MAN: "Yes."
WOMAN: "I am at the mall now and found this beautiful leather coat. It's only $1,000. Is it OK if I buy it?"
MAN: "Sure, go ahead if you like it that much"
WOMAN: "I also stopped by the Mercedes dealership and saw the new 2005 CES - They have the one I really liked."
MAN: "How much?
WOMAN: "$90,000."

MAN: "OK, but for that price, I want it with all the options."
WOMAN: "Great! Oh, and one more thing .the house I wanted last year is back on the market. They're asking $950,000."
MAN: "Well, then go ahead and give them  an offer of $900,000 They will probably take it. If not, we can go the extra 50 thousand. It is really a pretty good price."

WOMAN: "OK. I'll see you later! I love you so much!!"

MAN: "! I love you, too, Bye."

The man hangs up. The other men in the locker room are staring at him in astonishment, mouths agape.....

 

Then he smiles and asks: "Anyone know who this phone belongs to?"