Friendship should be celebrated everyday

We just celebrated International Friendship Day but reaching out to friends old and new should be something we do every day.

One of the summer’s biggest perks is the increased time we get to spend with our friends. As we wrote in June, this year is the first chance since the pandemic for many of us to reconnect in person during the precious and short summertime months.

Many of us are now seeing friends at backyard barbeques, community festivals, and weekend picnics in the park. Some are traveling far and wide to see friends at?weddings ,?reunions , graduations,?vacations , and weekend getaways.

There’s also a summer day to celebrate friendship itself. International Friendship Day, which took place on Saturday, is a great reminder of the power of friendship both in terms of personal relationships and its role in building communities. But it’s important to foster friendships beyond just one day or one season!

A dinner party idea

The roots of International Friendship Day can be traced to a familiar summertime event – a dinner party. On July 20, 1958, Dr. Ramon Artemio Bracho proposed the day while gathering for dinner with friends in a small town about 200 miles north of Asuncion, Paraguay.

During the party, the World Friendship Crusade was born. The goal was to celebrate the power of friendship, whether it’s between individuals or whole countries and regardless of race or religion.

In 2011, the United Nations got on board with and recognized July 30 as World Friendship Day and called on all countries to celebrate it as the International Day of Friendship. Here’s how the UN defines the power of friendship:

Through friendship — by accumulating bonds of camaraderie and developing strong ties of trust — we can contribute to the fundamental shifts that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability, weave a safety net that will protect us all, and generate passion for a better world where all are united for the greater good.

Friendship Day everyday

Of course, you don’t need a “day of” to reach out to all the people you’ve become friends with over your life or to start new friendships.?Use your power?to maintain relationships with friends. It can be as simple as a quick text or email, or it can be as elaborate as a dinner party or road trip.

The interlocking network of bonds we create with friends serve as the foundation of international peace. At a far more basic level, friendships make us healthier and happier than we’d otherwise be.

Researchers have found that strong friendships help people navigate whatever life throws at them, whether it’s a breakup or divorce, death of a loved one, family problems, or unemployment. In fact, the strength of a person’s friendship strongly predicted resilience to distressing situations.

Creative ways of staying in touch

At 1-800-Flowers.com, we’re in the business of sending thoughtfulness. We also know the value of simply sending an e-card or even a simple text that says, “Hey, I was thinking about you.” You can do this even if you haven’t seen the person in years. And you’ll likely be surprised at the response, just as they will be surprised to hear from you.

There are also ways to take it a step further. I get creative by keeping email lists of categories of friends, including childhood, professionals and golf buddies, for example. While I want to reach out, I can be caught up in how I communicate, often falling back on small talk.

To avoid this, I make the communications a bit livelier. I send memes, GIFs, or funny cartoons to people on my list to liven up the conversation, and invariably my friends respond with their own attempts at humor.

Our furry friends

And of course, we can’t forget about cats and dogs. As we wrote back in June, loyalty and companionship are traits that define true friendship for people and animals alike. And pets aren’t critical – most of the time, at least. (I recently nodded off on the couch while watching golf and was awakened to my grand-dog Iggy licking my face. I was startled and may have said something unkind. Let’s just say Iggy gave me “the look.)

We’re planning to dedicate an upcoming Celebrations Pulse newsletter to our favorite furry friends. How has your dog or cat changed your life for the better? Send your stories, and we’ll share them with the community in an upcoming email. We look forward to reading all about – and sharing – all your friendship tales and tails!

Share your story at [email protected].

Our furry friends also can be of great help in times of need. My family was recently introduced to?Canine Companions , an organization that trains service dogs and provides them – at no cost – to veterans and people with disabilities so that they can lead more independent lives.

As summer reaches its final month, let’s celebrate the power of friendship in all its forms.?Use your power!