Get By With Help From Friends

Patchogue, NY - The Beatles really had something when they sang about getting "by with a little help from my friends" and whenever I listen to the tune I HAVE to sing along.  Its fun.  Its catchy.  But it also has a great message - especially for anybody who is rebuilding their life. 
Friends are one of life's blessings.  Good ones are there for you when you're up and when you're down.  For this reason, friends are an extremely important of rebuilding our lives.  Think of friends as are our foundation.  They are the people that keep us grounded - calling us out when we get too high or too low. 
Unfortunately, I spent much of my life as an occasional isolationist.  I would isolate when I needed my friends the most - when I was down.  So, I would start feeling low and depressed and as a result I would slowly stop calling friends, stop answering text messages and eventually altogether stop reaching out.  Days, weeks and months would go by and I would remain in my solitude.  I would sparingly answer a friend or a cousin just to get them off of my case about not calling anyone, but then quickly cast the friend or cousin away so that I could continue my cold life in isolation.  I would often think about how lonely I was and how NOBODY in the world understands me and how I just don't connect with people.  I would often put myself down and conclude that I'm not normal.  It was maddening to live in such self pity.  I wanted to get out of my situation and start making friends and reconnecting with the friends I had but at the same time I thorougly enjoyed breaking myself down each day.  Then one day I was broken so badly that I couldn't build myself back up.  I couldn't do it alone but I was an isolationist and I had abandoned all of my family and friends in favor of living alone in solitude. 
That's my story of living in isolation.  But living in isolation could be different for each and every one of us.  I was away from the people I loved in mind body and spirit - maybe you are the type that still attends parties and events but just can't seem to connect with people while you're there.  Any way we dice it, isolating is toxic and it only leads to dispair. 
Today, I dare you to reach out.  Make phone calls, text.  Show up at an event.  Be present in the moment and make connections.  Remember that your friends will be your foundation and we are rebuilding our entire lives so we must make sure that foundation can support us and can keep us grounded.  I'm pictured above with my friend Jean Marie, who I consider to be an important part of my support network.  I call her when times are good and when times are bad and she does the same for me.