essential friendships

Photo

Christine Mabon presented her workshop “The 5 Essential Friendships that Enrich Our Lives” at the Salem Library earlier this month. At the event, she explained the five important friendships in our lives and associated them with the five courses of a meal. Above, Barbara Yonker, Wanda Spatz and Carolyn Oberle of Salem listen as Mabon introduced the five types of friendships and what course each friendship associated with. Photo by Crystal Beiersdorfer | The Vindicator

essential friendships

What they entail

Christine Mabon developed a workshop/seminar program, “Good Friends are Comfort Food For The Soul,” that identities five types of friends to enhance well-being in a woman’s life. She equates friendships to courses in a meal and notes that friendships help people “move forward.”

Appetizer: Mabon describes this friend as the “palate primer.” “Just as the appetizer gets the juices flowing, this friend is encouraging,” she said. “This friend motivates us to get going.”

Salad: The type of friend brings “freshness” to our lives. Mabon said she thinks of this friend as “younger and knowledgeable ... with crisp ideas.” “They give a fresh perspective and introduce something new,” Mabon said. “They might be a bridge between generations.” She said this young friend might help with technology, while the older friend shares life experience and is a resource.

Entree: “This friend is an anchor,” Mabon said of the person who you can call at anytime. “You can count on them and have a real connection.” She continued that this friend is “someone you can depend on no matter what” and “may have similar experiences.”

Beverage: “This older, wiser friend reminds us to trust ourselves and see our own value,” she said.

Dessert: “This is the decadent part of the meal,” Mabon said. “This sweet friendship can help restore our zest for living.” The “dessert” friend engages us in “fun experiences and encourages us to try new things,” she said. By their lifestyle, Mabon said, “This friend shows us fun shouldn’t be squeezed into life, but be a part of it.”

Information: Visit www.christinemabon.com. A newsletter is available.