I was standing in the parking lot of the building where I work during a fire drill. I was trying to find a friend of mine that works in a different department. When I could not find him I looked to the area where he usually parks his car. The image above is an approximate likeness to his car. When I looked for the car, I saw it was not there and then knew I could give up looking for my friend.

I use this example to remind all of us how important friendships are to us. Knowing who our friends are and that we can call them when we have a reason is important to our sense of belonging. Believing in friendships and spending time with friends helps us avoid loneliness. Isolation helps foster depression. The support of close friends helps prevent depression.

I hope you are as thankful for the friends in your life as I am for the friends I have in my life.