08/25/2026
Good morning, my friend.
Today I really want to share something that has absolutely nothing to do with calories, carbs, protein, water, steps, supplements, or whether your leggings are technically “athleisure” or just pajamas with ambition.
Today I want to remind us about the power of friendship.
Real friendship.
The kind that lasts through all the seasons. The good ones. The hard ones. The weird ones. The “I am spiraling and need a lifeline right now..” ones.
Because the truth is, we are not meant to do this life alone.
We may be strong. We may be capable. We may be the ones who get things done, hold things together, make the lists, pack the snacks, remember the birthdays, organize the chaos, and somehow are the only ones to know where the extra batteries are.
But even the strongest among us need people.
And as much as we may love our spouses, partners, children, siblings, and dogs who stare at us like tiny emotional support therapists, we cannot expect one person to be our everything.
That is why friendship matters. That is why having a tribe matters.
And if we are really lucky, somewhere along the way we find one or two ride-or-die besties. The people who have seen every version of us and somehow still answer the phone.
The ones who celebrate with us when life is beautiful. The ones who sit with us when it is not.
The ones who let us cry, vent, laugh, spin out of control, dream, complain, overthink, and occasionally act like the lead in a drama series — and then, when needed, lovingly say, “Okay, girl. Enough. Get up. We’re handling this.”
Those people are gold.
This weekend, Jason and I had the chance to go back to my old hometown of Saratoga Springs NY and spend time with one of my very best friends — someone I met back in 1988 when we were working summer jobs together.
That’s right- 1988. Almost 40 years ago. (GASP!)
Big hair, questionable fashion choices, and absolutely no idea what life was going to throw at us- nor did we care.
And somehow, all these years later, Keith and I are still here.
Still laughing. Still talking. Still showing up.
He invited us to a beautiful farm-to-table dinner way up in New York, so far north we could have puckered lips and kissed Vermont. It was held on a sheep farm, in a barn up on a hill, fields all around us, a gorgeous multi-course fresh food dinner, w**e glasses catching the sunset, and backdrop so beautiful it was like a Maxfield Parrish painting .
It was one of those evenings that makes you stop and think, “This is what life is about.”
Not the rushing.
Not the proving.
Not the doing and doing and doing.
But sitting across from someone who has known you through every chapter... The wins. The losses. The heartbreaks. The reinventions. The ridiculous stories. The questionable decisions. The big dreams. The quiet disappointments. The fresh starts... all of it..
And as we talked over dinner, I was reminded how powerful it is to have people in your life who truly know you.
Not the polished version.
Not the social media version.
Not the “I’m fine, everything’s great” version.
The real version.
The one who needs support. The one who needs laughter. The one who needs someone to say, “I remember who you are. I remember what you’ve survived. And I’m still right here.”
So today, it's a good day to think about your people.
Who is in your tribe?
Who are the friends who have held you up, cheered you on, told you the truth, made you laugh until your face hurt, and reminded you that you are not alone?
And maybe more importantly, when was the last time you reached out?
When was the last time you got together, broke bread, shared a glass of something lovely, told the old stories, made a few new ones, and celebrated the gift of still being in each other’s lives?
Because friendship does not stay strong by accident.
It needs tending.
Just like a garden. Just like a work of art. Just like a good pot of soup.
You have to show up. You have to make time. You have to send the text, make the plan, pick the date, say yes to dinner, and stop waiting for life to calm down first.
Because let’s be honest.
Life is not calming down.
She has no interest.
So this is your little Monday nudge.
Reach out to someone you love.
Send the text.
Make the plan.
Tell your people what they mean to you.
Celebrate the ones who have walked beside you through all the beautiful, messy, complicated, glorious chapters of your life.
Because we all need a tribe.
We all need people who see us.
And we all deserve a few ride-or-die friends who will love us through the joy, the mess, the magic, and the absurdity while telling us we're always beautiful.
This is the art of living flavorfully- and it’s yours for the taking.
🧡
