“Regardless of how much you love your family and the children you happen to have, you will always need friends.”

As the 19th surgeon general of the United States, has repeatedly stated in recent years that the most prevalent health issue in the country is not cancer, heart disease, or obesity, but rather isolation. This isolation is most prominent among men.

While women are nearly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression, men have a higher suicide rate. In fact, the suicide rate is highest in middle-aged white men. In 2021, men died by suicide 3.9 times more often than women.

”Remember to go out with them occasionally (if possible), but keep in contact with them somehow.”

As men reach middle-age, there’s a sense of guilt associated with maintaining friendships. Friendships take time away from families and, to a lesser degree, work.

Loneliness is not just middle-aged malaise. Millennials are the loneliest generation in history, with thirty percent reporting that they “always” or “often” feel lonely. Could there be a blooming epidemic of loneliness in our country?

The study followed 2,500 middle-aged men (ages 42 to 61) for 20 years and confirmed that loneliness increases cancer risk by 10%.

For most men in their twenties and thirties, having twelve close friends seems like a fairy tale, and studies show that men tend to become lonelier as they grow older. If Jesus had lived longer, he might have ended up with only 4 or 5 Disciples.

Medical professionals believe that meaningful “bro-mances” promote overall wellness. They encourage us to trade harmful habits for healthier ones, whether it’s adopting a better diet, engaging in more exercise, or permitting ourselves to take a well-deserved break. Our friends’ influence can help lower the risk of many health problems, including high blood pressure, obesity, and depression.

Modern dads, who take parenting more seriously than men did two generations ago, are spending approximately three times as much time with their children. This hesitation to be real leads many of these men to internalize their emotions, as if they don’t need any help, ever. They simply believe they can handle everything themselves.

Women, on the other hand, often prioritize friendships. Whether it’s through book clubs, bunko nights, Bible studies, or simply chatting on the telephone, women seem to be less lonely than men.

“When we started this adventure called life, we did not know of the incredible joys or sorrows that were ahead.”

Despite our best efforts at creating the perfect life on our own, happiness is really about close and meaningful connections with other people.

It’s about lasting and intentional friendships. It’s about the intertwining of our lives in a deep and significant way. We must have people of substance to “do life” with, and we cannot “do life” with people on Facebook and Instagram.

As Vanilla Ice once said, “It’s about enjoying your life. If you have no family, no friends to enjoy it with, it don’t matter how much you have, how much success you have, how much fame you have, how much money you have. Ultimately, those things simply don’t matter.”

“Love your parents, take care of your children, but keep a group of good friends.”