The Power of Friendship & Connection: A Key to Joy ✨
A celebration of friendship as a source of joy, resilience, and resistance—sharing how intentional time with close friends fuels both personal growth and collective well-being.
This week, I got to spend quality time with my squad—three dynamic women I came up with at Columbia, got tenure with, and continue to share my life with. We’ve been planning a writing retreat for months, but when snow thwarted our upstate plans, our friendship truly shined. Instead of letting our time together slip away, we pivoted, adapted, and made it happen. Much love to Courtney, Heidi and Carmela!
The result? Magical. ✨ We had a fancy dinner and got good snacks! We worked on book projects, articles, and op-eds—but what mattered most was simply being in community. We laughed, shared our struggles, uplifted each other, and, most importantly, we did a round robin on our joy plans. Because joy, like friendship, requires intention.
I do this every day with my best friend Erica. Whether it's a 30-year bond or a new, deep connection, friendships like these are essential. Science backs this up—strong social ties increase happiness, improve resilience, and even extend our lives. In chaotic times, friendship isn’t just about joy—it’s a form of resistance.
Tag your squad and remind them how much they mean to you. 💛
Insights for Joyful Living and Social Justice
Get a glimpse into my ongoing reflections, stories, and research as I explore the science of joy, the realities of racial justice, and how our digital world shapes both.
✨ Joy and Timely Connections ✨
I highlight joy as a practice that strengthens resilience and deepens human connection.
🔥 What Tries to Kill Joy… and How Joy Wins 🔥
I share how I use joy as a tool for survival and liberation, offering three ways to protect and strengthen it amid life’s challenges.
The Quiet Joy That Brings Us Home
A reflection on using joy as liberation and resilience when life brings negativity, with three intentional practices to protect and nurture joy.
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