- Every warm summer night, my 86-year-old mother-in-law,
Olga Regush, walks with her cane down a short corridor to the 4th floor
terrace of her apartment building where she joins some of her long-time
friends in their summer ritual of storytelling and companionship.
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- Sheâs been doing this for many years. And now,
as she recovers remarkably from a very long ordeal due to complications
after major heart surgery, this evening ritual has become even more precious.
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- Time and again, my husband, Nicholas, and I have seen
and heard the positive effects of her nightly gathering.
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- When she telephones us after being on the terrace, her
voice is more vibrant and her outlook is more positive. She complains of
fewer aches and pains and she is ready to have a good nightâs sleep,
which at her age, is not always a given.
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- This is a small, but important clue to maintaining health
and the value of creating and having strong relationships.
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- One of my fellow Redflagsdaily.com columnists, Dr. Malcolm
Kendrick, supports this idea in his recent column about the root causes
of heart disease.
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- A doctor who has spent 20 years studying this area of
health, Kendrick lists having a good social network as one of six major
ways to protect against heart disease.
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- He cites as an example the case of Asian immigrants,
who, torn from their traditional family-strong cultures, currently suffer
high levels of heart disease.
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- His column is a strong reminder of the simple and often
overlooked fact that having good friends can mean better health.
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- Of course, what my mother-in-law considers a good social
network may be quite different from how other people meet their personal
needs for companionship.
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- As one example, consider my good friend, Beverley, an
unmarried musician who spends a lot of time on her own. A year ago, she
bought a cockatiel she named, "Misty." My friend says that Misty
has brought great joy into her life.
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- "Pets never tire of you," she told me recently.
"I go out for just an hour or so, and when I come back, it is as though
Misty hasnât seen me in years! Itâs remarkable how good animals
can make you feel. Their love is unconditional."
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- Beverleyâs comments are strongly supported by the
findings of a research project at Brooklyn College hospital in New York.
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- After discharge from the hospital, heart-disease patients
were followed by researchers who studied, in great detail, their medical
histories, lifestyles, families and relationships.
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- The results of this study make a powerful case for those
who see their pets as an integral part of the family.
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- One of the researchers, Dr. Aaron Katcher, remarked that,
"The presence of a pet was the strongest social predictor of survival,
not just for lonely or depressed people, but everyone independent of marital
status and access to social support from human beings."
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- Not all of us can have or even want to have a pet. But
we can find ways to bring more meaningful human relationships into our
lives. The many benefits can be surprising.
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- Over a period of 13 years, one team of researchers studied
a group of about 2700 people, all of whom were over the age of 65.
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- The studyâs purpose was to "examine any association
between social, productive, and physical activity and 13 year survival
in older people."
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- One of the major findings after this lengthy study was
that social activities are as important to lowering the risk of death as
are fitness activities.
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- Friendship has value at many levels. Most of us have
known, at one time or another, the great relief of being able to call a
good friend when life is really getting us down.
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- And there is also the deeply felt pleasure in having
built a strong enough relationship so that each personâs victories
can also be mutually enjoyed.
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- Doctors certainly have a role to play in our lives, and
so do treatments, quality food, and sufficient rest. But it comforts me
to know that the simple act of true friendship is one of the most important
factors in our overall well-being.
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- http://www.redflagsweekly.com/extra.html
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