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I Have Over 20 Close Friends
But I Used to Be a Shy Introvert. So — What Happened?
The other day I was reading about friendship and mental health. Yeah, I know — fascinating topic. But the crux of the research is compelling. People with close friends live longer and are happier.
So I did a self-evaluation.
Depending on how you define a close friend, I have over 20.
It wasn’t always this way.
I was a solitary child. Throughout grade school, I had maybe 1 best friend at a time and sometimes a couple of other people who might be classified as friends. I was introverted and shy.
At some point this changed.
I’m still introverted — I prefer getting together with small groups of close friends for truly deep communication vs. being around large crowds. And I do need plenty of alone time. But I stopped being shy ages ago.
What really brought home to me the quality of my friendships — the overwhelming support when I got cancer.
Not just friends but also neighbors were there for me and my mother in heartfelt and genuine ways. It has made a big difference in my recovery process and has really touched my heart. It’s been particularly important since I am not married.
