The Heart of Close Friendships

## The Heart of Close Friendships ### (Season 6 | Episode 256) As my partner Amir often notes, we are actively trading the concept of an “empty” nest for an “open” one, welcoming new adventures, vibrant health, and deepening relationships into our lives. I absolutely love the edginess and unconventional topics we get to explore on this show. Now that our kids have flown the nest, we are officially open nesters with our homes, hearts, and lives wide open to endless possibilities. In our latest episode, I had the incredible honor of sitting down with three of my dearest friends: Shelley, Revy, and Mary Ann. Together, we discussed a deeply meaningful topic that I recently wrote a book about: the five doors of friendship. These five doors include play, inspiration, generosity, value alignment, and creative alchemy. For this specific conversation, we decided to hang out by the first three doors, exploring how they impact our connections as we age. ### “Trading an ’empty’ nest for an ‘open’ one” ### “The five doors of friendship” ### “The liberating power of play” ### **“Generosity of opinion”** ### **“Play is the ultimate form of research”** ### Door 1: The Liberating Power of Play The first door we opened was Play, which is fundamentally about the freedom to truly be yourself and invite others into that shared joy. As we get older, we can easily get trapped in our heads, overthink things, and take our adult lives far too seriously. Opening the door to play means letting go of those inhibitions, whether that looks like playing pickleball, dancing, or even rolling down a meadow in our 60s! It is a wonderfully liberating surrender that brings immense laughter and instantly connects us. We also touched on how play serves as a profound catalyst for discovery and creativity in our later years. There is a brilliant idea attributed to Einstein that perfectly captures this: “Play is the ultimate form of research.” By embracing our silly, playful spirits, we actually open ourselves up to trying new things and stepping completely out of our comfort zones. Having friends who are willing to just drop the serious act and be a little foolish with you is a true gift that keeps life fresh. ### Door 2: Finding Mutual Inspiration Next, we stepped through the door of Inspiration, reflecting on how our relationships actively breathe new life into us. Inspiration can come from watching a friend courageously cross a new threshold or take up a brand-new sport later in life. I also find immense inspiration in watching the younger generation, including our adult children, as they navigate their own evolving roles and life stages. When we allow ourselves to be inspired by the people around us, our friendships become synergistic spaces for continual growth. [](https://stacimccormack.com/ "FIVE-DOORS OF FRIENDSHIP BOOK COVER") ### Door 3: The Gift of Generosity The third door we explored was Generosity, which goes far beyond financial giving or simply hosting events. In deep friendships, generosity looks like giving the gift of your time and cultivating what we call a “generosity of opinion.” It means actively cutting each other slack, being forgiving when someone is having a hard day, and showing up with genuine empathy. This compassionate, open-handed approach to one another forms the unshakeable bedrock of any lasting, meaningful friendship. I am so deeply grateful for the generosity, inspiration, and playfulness that Shelley, Revy, Mary Ann, and all of our listeners bring to my life. Amir and I have some exciting travel plans and new adventures on the horizon that we can’t wait to share with you all. If you want to dive deeper into these conversations, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform and drop us an email at tessa@theopennesters.com. Let’s keep exploring what it means to live with open hearts and wide-open nests. ### Resources for You We want to provide you with support and many many resources for your own Open Nesting Journey. Our resource page has so much to offer as does our private discussion group on Facebook about queerness and other topics of interest: Open Nesters Resource Page The Open Nesters Private Facebook Group [](https://theopennesters.com/open-nest-resources/ "The Open Nesters Resources") ### About Tessa ### How do old relationships evolve and new ones beckon? Friendship is the heartbeat of a life well-lived. Despite our need for meaningful connection, friendship can seem surprisingly difficult to find. But what if friendship isn’t something we find at all, but something we learn to create? That journey begins with oneself and the exploration of the quiet places within our hearts. As we become more heart-centered, we are willing to see one another not only for who we have been, but for who we are becoming, allowing for more curiosity, growth and change in ourselves and our friendships. Old relationships evolve and new ones beckon. Stacey Tessa K. Battat–through her years exploring what makes friendships deepen, endure, and come alive–has uncovered for herself how old relationships can evolve and new ones can beckon. She identified five doors to open ourselves and create richer connections: Play, Inspiration, Generosity, Value Alignment, and Creative Alchemy. The Five Doors of Friendship is an invitation to welcome possibility in both old and new friendships, softening the path to feel seen, energized, challenged, accepted, and celebrated!