Friendship a Longevity Factor?

This one might be a stretch for many to believe, but people who have quality friendships with others live longer than those who don't. It is a proven fact. Ken Dychtwald, wrote in his book, The Power Years:

We know that children who have friends do better in school and that adolescents who are loners are far more likely to have psychological and social problems downstream. But having friends isn't just good for your mental state; it promotes physiological benefits too, such as longer life and greater health. A study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology concluded that women with strong social networks live less stressful lives and have a healthier heart. Men, too, appear less vulnerable to heart disease if they have a network of friends. Medical researchers have found that those with friends are more likely to survive major surgery and even less likely to get cancer.

Many boomer aged Americans, especially men come through their 50's with a desire to slow down the pace of frenetic lives which were driven by the need to support a lifestyle they wanted to live that required hard work. As they begin to pare back some of their work, many find themselves with a "friendship vacuum".

"How do you make friends as an adult?" asks Ken Dychtwald. "Getting involved in a new hobby or career or anything that you truly enjoy is a simple way to remain attractive to others, to be open to new encounters, and interesting to the family and friends with whom you socialize. Stimulating new pursuits giv you an immediate way to connect with new people and sharpen your interpersonal skills."

Rowe and Kahn, in their book, Successful Aging mention that there are three major components of successful aging, Avoiding Disease, Maintaining High Cognitive and Physical Function, and Engagement with Life. When you look at these you might wonder, where do friendships fit into all of this. They go on to say that Engagement with Life actually involves two factors, relationships with other people and behavior that is productive. "It is this forward-looking, active engagement with life and with other human beings that is so critical to growing old well."

They go on to say, "The task of successful aging is to discover and rediscover relationships and activities that provide closeness and meaningfulness...Being part of a social network of friends and family is one of the most dependable predictors of longevity. Men and women, perhaps especially men, who do not have close friends or family are more likely to become ill and less likely to love long lives."

Encore Generation ministries that recognize this need in boomer aged adults can brainstorm multiple ways to connect with people like this and develop both closeness and meaningfulness with others. Many are finding ways to form new relationships with others outside their own church bodies. Rod Toews, the director of Plus Ministry (Adults over 50) at Peninsula Covenant Church in Redwood City, California encourages his people to join community based service clubs in order to connect with peers and form new friendships. Rod has set the example by becoming a member of the local Rotary Club. One of his new Rotary friends recently lost his wife, and asked Rod if he would officiate his memorial service. Rod was there for his new friend and his family and was able to bring much needed comfort and the support of his church in responding to this need. Over a short length of time Rod has developed both a close and meaningful relationship with a new friend.

Rod posted a list of all the community organizations in Redwood City and surrounding communities for all his people to see. Over the past several months several of their people have joined. It is the goal of Plus Ministry to have at least one of their people be a part of every service organization on the list.