Letter from the Editor One of the strangest things about modern life is how easy it is to collect “friends,” yet how difficult it can be to build lasting friendships. Social media have made it possible to meet people from around the world with the click of a button. Unfortunately, it has also made
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it just as easy for people to disappear from our lives. One disagreement, one busy season, one change in direction, and suddenly someone who was part of your daily routine becomes little more than an old profile picture. I keep trying to explain this to my kiddo. Friendships aren’t always easy. Sometimes they take work. Sometimes they require forgiveness, patience, and the willingness to pick up the phone instead of simply hitting “unfollow.” I’ve always believed in having a core group of close friends surrounded by a much larger circle of acquaintances. The larger circle makes life interesting, but it’s the core group who show up when life gets complicated. They’re the ones I’ve known since high school, the ones I can call without hesitation because I know they’ll answer, even if it’s just to remind me that whatever mess I’ve gotten myself into is probably my own fault. Recently, I had lunch with Richard Haddow. Now, if you know Richard, you’ll know he’s involved in just about everything our community has to offer. While we were sitting in the diner, person after person stopped to say hello. It was like watching the mayor, except nobody was asking him to fix potholes. It struck me that while holding onto lifelong friends is incredibly important, so is making room for new ones, especially those from different generations. Older friends share stories that remind us where we’ve come from. Younger friends help us understand where the world is going. Both perspectives are valuable, and both can enrich our lives in ways we never expect. As we get older, there is another reality we all eventually face: we begin losing friends. It’s one of the hardest parts of growing older. The conversations end, the laughs become memories, and suddenly you’re the one telling the stories that keep their spirit alive. That’s a privilege, even if it doesn’t always feel like one. If you’re finding it harder to make new friends these days, this fall might be the perfect time to change that. Join a club, try a new hobby, volunteer, or sign up for a class you’ve always been curious about. You never know who you’ll meet. Your next cup of coffee could turn into a lifelong friendship, and at any age, that’s something worth raising a mug to.
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Page 2 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • September 2026
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