“Go outside and play with your
friends!” That was Mom’s clarion call to us kids back then when friendship was
easier. When we were naive, tolerant, open to diversity, and had few
boundaries.

We were perfect friend-making
machines.

Some friendships lasted. Others
dissipated. Either way, potential friendships seemed to be placed in front of
us for the asking. 

Circumstance, not choice, was
likely to be the determining factor in staking out new relationships. People
came in and out of our lives as we traveled through the cycle of education,
career, and family.

It was important, but often
not Priority One.

Friendship by Choice, not Circumstance

Things change for us during the
latter days of our careers, and then in retirement. Obstacles arise.

We’re more set in our ways. More
likely to harbor definitive ideas about who might be an appropriate friend. Who
might not. We might move to a new location. Gain or lose a spouse. Become ill.
Have money. Need money. Become consumed with politics or become apolitical.

We begin to hide pieces of
ourselves in order to enhance compatibility with others. After all, it’s the
time in our lives to relax. We’ve got our old friendships to do the serious
lifting.

Some new friendships survive the
journey. Some do not.

Leave Your Pre-Conceived Notion of Friendship at the Door

It takes a special type of grit
to hack your way through it. To confront yourself honestly about what friendship
actually means to you at this specific point in life.

We might ask ourselves, why
isn’t this easier?

That’s a rhetorical question. We
all know the answer: friendship is work. Up close and personal.

We want to like others and we
want to be liked. We want to be heard for who we are and stand witness as new
friends reveal themselves to us. We’re seeking a compatible home for our likes
and dislikes because we need companionship and communion.

That’s a complex set of
expectations.

Perhaps it’s why I so often hear
people resort to the defeatist question: How many really good friends
can one person have, anyway?

Things to Remember as You Engage with Potential Friends

Friendship is an expansion opportunity.
A fountain of possibilities.

Yes, we’re looking for a match
to our existing sensibilities. But we also want more from
new friendships. We look for journey-mates who can help to recalibrate and
support the contemporary view we have of ourselves.

New friends can help us see the
world through a different set of eyes. They can open a lane or two into this
new realm. But it takes work on our part.

Enter Relationships with an Open Mind

• Instead
  of hunting for friendship, let friendship find you. It’s a non-linear, organic
  process.
• Look
  for what’s endearing, not what’s enduring. Be verbal about the parts of the
  journey that work. Solid communication breeds repetition and builds trust.

Give Friendship Enough Time to Find Its Way

• New
  friendships will find a mutually comfortable depth. Don’t overthink it. You
  have good intuition. You can gracefully back away from friendships that aren’t
  working.
• Not
  everyone releases the Director’s Cut version of their lives on the first date.
  Be interested and interesting. Ask questions to learn more.
• Use
  subtle advances and wise retreats.

Build Friendship Slowly, but Deliberately

• It
  isn’t necessary to invite new friends on your next cruise through the Mediterranean.
• Identify
  what you have in common, not what separates you.
• Celebrate
  the strengths.
• Support
  friendship through language. If your gut tells you it’s working out on both
  sides, don’t be afraid to say, this feels like it’s developing into a nice
  friendship.

In the Name of Friendship

I used to be a categorizer. I
ran away from the term friendship for too long. People were
acquaintances. Work chums. Drinking buddies. Pals.

Definitions create limitations.
Limitations create obstacles. This Merriam-Webster definition of friend will show you just how
wide the umbrella of friendship can be. Remain open to the possibilities.

Not every friend will be the one
you call at three in the morning for help. Not every friend makes an equally
deep imprint on your life. No one person or couple can match every one of your
friendship criteria.

What matters most is a shared
set of common values as I explain in the video above.

Choose to Do the Work

Statistically, one of the
biggest concerns elders have about long life is loneliness. And though the
navigation of adult friendship isn’t without potholes, it’s one of the best
preventative measures against this worry.

I recently shared the story of a friendship with someone with whom I never
imagined I’d have much in common. Though rough going at first, the rewards were
plentiful.

Stretch. Do the work. Go out to
play with your friends!

How often
do you try to make friends with new people? What does it take on your part? Do
you think it’s worth it? What are some benefits you have noticed? Please share
with our community!

First aid kits. Do you travel with one? If
so, is it regularly updated before you venture off on your well-deserved
vacation?

We have been travelling with a small first aid
kit since 2013. During that time our most used items have been:

• Panadol tablets for various
  aches and pains.
• Hydrolyte tablets to rehydrate
  during and after bouts of diarrhoea and vomiting.
• Po Chai or Charcoal tablets to
  stop diarrhoea (a well-known brand is Imodium).
• Plasters.
• Blackmores Liquid Echinacea
  (which we take on a daily basis in orange juice); although it is specifically
  for colds and flu’s we use it more as an immune booster.
• Antiseptic hand gel.

Hydrolyte tablets or hydrolyte drinks replace
fluids and electrolytes after bouts of diarrhoea and vomiting. Once the tablet
dissolves, sip on the drink at regular intervals making sure to throw it out if
it is not refrigerated. If you can refrigerate, it will keep up to 24 hours.

If you haven’t heard of Po Chai or Charcoal
tablets, that’s perfectly fine. Po Chai tablets can be found in Asia, e.g.,
Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, and we have been using them since we found
out about them whilst living in Singapore in 2000.

We have purchased Charcoal tablets, a.k.a.,
Carbon tablets, in Mexico. Po Chai and Charcoal tablets assist in stopping
diarrhoea and vomiting.

Our Travel First Aid Checklist

You can use our checklist as a guide for
your travels, and depending on your destination you may need to add or subtract
other items:

• Panadol tablets
• Hydrolyte tablets
• Po Chai, Carbon, or Imodium
  tablets
• Range of adhesive dressings,
  scissors, and antiseptic wipes for cleaning wounds prior to bandaging
• Antiseptic hand gel
• Rubber gloves to avoid cross
  infection in blood
• Face masks – N95 or similar. We
  have used these in Chiang Mai during the smoking season and in dense traffic
  areas such as Vietnam
• Safety pins to hold bandages in
  place
• Small scissors and tweezers
• Tape to hold dressings in place
• Stingos – for the relief of
  bites and stings
• Thermometer
• Penicillin tablets – we can
  purchase penicillin tablets over the counter in some Asian countries
• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen

Top Tips to Always Keep in Mind

Keep Your First Aid Kit Updated

Before you travel, check your travel first
aid kit and update any products that are out of date.

Check Vaccinations

Check the countries that you are planning
to visit for any mandatory or recommended vaccinations – you may need to have a
booster.

Malaria Prone Countries

Speak to your doctor if you are travelling
to a country with a high risk of malaria. Some medications that you may already
take may have adverse reactions to malaria tablets and some malaria tablets can
give you adverse reactions.

Purify Your Water

If you are trekking or hiking, you may
consider taking water purification tablets with you.

Stock Up on Medication

Make sure you have adequate supplies of
your current medication. Whatever drugs you take daily may not be available for
purchase in your destination, so stock up.

Stock Up on Batteries

If you have a hearing aid, ensure that you
have plenty of batteries to carry with you.

Include Skin Protection

No matter where you’re traveling to, take sunscreen
and insect repellent with you.

Don’t Neglect Hydration

Buy your own refillable water bottle and
refill where possible.

Always ensure that you take out travel
insurance as soon as you book your flights, accommodation, and tours. This
practice will save you a lot of headache.

Safe travels!

What do you carry in your first aid kit?
Which items do you use most often? What have you never used but still carry
with you? Please share with the community!

Stassi Schroder’s Orange Ruffle Dress on Watch What Happens Live

Watch What Happens Live Fashion March 10, 2020

Lets be real, I have no idea what is going on during tonight’s episode of Watch What Happens Live because I am watching the Bachelor finale on delay because I had to get through Vanderpump Rules before I turned it on. I mean, normally nothing tops Bravo but I couldn’t miss what trouble Barb Peter Weber’s mom mouth gets him in tonight.

However, I couldn’t help but notice Stassi Schroder’s orange ruffle dress while scrolling through Instagram while I watched. And while (ALERT: BACHELOR SPOILER) Peter and Madison Prewett might have to wait to see what happens, none of us have to wait for Stassi’s dress. After all, if you change your mind you can always return it for another one you like better in a few weeks just like Peter.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop her Acler Dress

Click Here for Additional Stock

Photo: @StassiSchroeder

Originally posted at: Stassi Schroder’s Orange Ruffle Dress