It's been a difficult couple of months among my circle of friends. I've lost six people--three to cancer, two to pulmonary distress, and one to a stroke. Their ages ranged from 59-86. This has made me wonder about what it means to live life well. Actually, there are two sides to this. On the one hand, there's living life well, and on the other is ensuring that by being a good friend, others live well, too.
Rather than delivering stories and praises among funereal flowers too late for the ones who should have heard them, how do we make the most of the time we have, both for ourselves and for those we care about?
Living well isn’t just about adventure or bold decisions (though that’s part of it!). It’s also about making sure that the paths we take offer friendship and love to those we meet along the way –briefly and with those who walk alongside for longer. It’s in the intentional acts where we find meaningful connection. Living well means listening more than we speak, giving more than we take, and recognizing that presence is the most valuable gift we offer.
Living well asks us to embrace vulnerability--to let people in, share our hearts, and build relationships where we aren’t afraid to be seen as we are—scars, flaws, and all. Because at the end of the day, a life well-lived isn’t measured by how many material goods we’ve gathered, but by how much love and joy we’ve shared. And part of that love is making space for the messiness of life—for both ourselves and those we care about.
And on the other side, being a good friend while your friends are alive is the other half of this equation. It’s easy to slip into the rhythm of busy lives, thinking we’ll have more time “later.” But what if “later” slips away? How do we shift from merely showing up at the end of someone's journey to truly showing up in their life? We have to find the balance between being busy and being present. A simple call, a shared laugh, or just sitting together in silence—those are the moments that truly matter.
I’ll be honest, my connection to these friends has ebbed and flowed over the years. But here’s the lesson: Life isn’t just about living well for myself; it’s about offering my presence to support others to live well. Don’t wait until it’s too late to make that call, to offer support, or to simply say, “I’m here for you.” These small acts of love fill our days with meaning and make it a little easier to carry the weight of loss when it comes.
Both sides of the coin, living well and being a good friend, have only one conclusion: When, not if. Come join us at Wondercrone.com to make sure that your coin shines as brightly as possible.
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