In today’s healthcare world, staying healthy has become a full-time job. We monitor our blood pressure, count our steps, watch our cholesterol, and take enough pills to make a pharmacist consider naming a shelf after us. Our doctors have patient portals, our watches have opinions about our heart rates, and our insurance companies have perfected the art of making us sick before we even get an appointment.
Yet one of the best prescriptions for healthy aging may be sitting right under our nose: old friends. Carol and I recently took a little time to test the theory, taking a road trip to visit several old friends along the Florida coast. And I mean really old – friends for close to 5 decades.
These are the friends who remember when our hair was naturally colored, our eyesight required no accessories, and getting out of a chair didn’t involve a complicated three-point maneuver. They knew us when we actually played tennis, I was an avid scuba diver, and we still discussed vacation plans instead of comparing medication lists.
Old friends are good for the soul even the ones who are no longer with us and can only contribute to our happy memories. They make us laugh, keep our minds active, and remind us that we are more than a collection of medical records and prescription renewals. A good friend can reduce stress, ease loneliness, and make life feel a little lighter. Best of all, friendship has no deductible, no copayment, and no requirement for preapproval.
Of course, getting together requires some planning. One friend can’t drive at night, another can’t hear the conversation, and a third insists on meeting at a restaurant where the menu requires a magnifying glass. By the time everyone agrees on a date, time, and location, we may need medical clearance just to attend.
But after our little road trip, I can attest that it’s worth the trouble.
And let’s not forget new friends. Every old friend was once a stranger who hadn’t yet heard our favorite stories. That interesting person at the book club, the neighbor walking a dog, or the fellow patient complaining about healthcare costs might become a lifelong companion. Give them time. Eventually, they’ll know your medical history almost as well as your primary care physician.
In a world where healthcare costs can make our blood pressure rise all by themselves, friendship offers an affordable form of preventive care. There’s no billing code for laughing until your sides hurt, reminiscing about old adventures, or discovering that someone else has also forgotten why they walked into the kitchen.
Of course, friends cannot replace doctors, medications, screenings, or sensible exercise. But as Carol wisely said they can remind us to live while we’re busy trying to stay alive.
So, call an old friend. Invite a new one to lunch. Put down the health app for an hour and pick up the telephone.
After all, an apple a day may keep the doctor away, but a good friend can make the doctor’s waiting room considerably more entertaining.
And if you both forget what you were talking about, don’t worry. That’s what the next lunch is for.
