Yeah.

What is a friend? What is a friendship? I mean, to a large extent, the way that we would describe this as a child, as a young child, is very alike how we would describe it as adults, right? Friendships are in many ways a chosen relationship.

And so I think that element of choice is so important to really center first and foremost that we choose who our friends are.

We choose, I always say, we choose who we let into our lives.

We choose who we let stay.

And it really is that element of choice that distinguishes our friendships from some of the other relationships that we have in our lives, particularly as adults.

where so much of our schedule and calendar and roles and responsibilities can feel like they are rooted in duty and obligation and necessity.

Where would someone start? Like, how would you start to find someone who you could nurture that relationship and turn it into a friendship?

Right? I saved it.

Yeah, thank you.

What a good question to kick off this conversation with.

So a few things are coming up for me here.

First of all, I immediately am transported back to graduate school where I was researching young adult and adult friendship and we were looking at what are the most common common friendship challenges that come up.

And not only that, which of these friendship challenges are the most important? Meaning, if you don't say or do the quote-unquote right thing, if you don't handle this appropriately, there will be consequences, either for your own well-being, for your friend's well-being, or for your friendship, and in this case, potentially, your friend group.

And I say that because, interestingly, without going into too much of the data, I will say there were three broad categories of situations that came up.

yeah,