The Joy of Friendship

I had the most wonderful time this weekend! My friend Emma is visiting from Ohio and we had a blast together.

I've known Emma for almost a decade. She had a fashion blog and we followed each other. When she stopped blogging, I stayed in touch with her on Facebook. This Summer I traveled to her hometown of Columbus, OH and she decided to reciprocate with a solo trip to New York.

Emma has everything you want in a friend. She's smart, interesting and supportive. More than most people, Emma pays close attention. She's listened carefully to me and understands me unusually well. Plus Emma is a delight to hang out with; her charm is abundant. And, on top of all that, Emma has terrific talent at applying makeup; I hope she'll teach me some of her tricks.

Emma arrived on Saturday and we spent the weekend exploring fun offerings in my hometown. Saturday night we saw an entertaining magic show by a female magician whose big hair was an illusion in itself. Sunday we shopped at my favorite stores where Emma found a cute ring and edgy black booties. Today I brought her into Manhattan where we saw a fashion exhibition at MOMA and ate a delicious meal at Sarabeth's on the southern tip of Central Park.

Emma plans to spend the rest of the week exploring New York City in furtherance of a novel she's researching.

I've lived a long time so believe me when I say that friendship is the healthiest -- and most fun -- activity we can pursue. You get amply rewarded for effort in that direction so go out and  play with your friends!