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The conversations that make you feel less alone in this friendship thing

Every Friday, I ask one real-world friendship question, and you bring the wisdom. Because here’s what I’ve learned: there’s no universal “right” way to do friendship — just the ways that work for you and your people.

These conversations always surprise me. Someone will share an approach I’ve never considered, or put words to something I’ve felt but couldn’t explain. That’s the magic of crowdsourcing connection wisdom.

Today’s Question

A Few Ideas to Get Us Started

1. What’s been the highlight of your week? (Gets them thinking about good stuff instead of just the daily grind)
2. What’s one thing you’re looking forward to? (Future-focused and usually sparks genuine enthusiasm)
3. I saw [thing they mentioned] — how did that go? (Shows you were actually listening to previous conversations… ahem… emotional intimacy roots)
4. What’s keeping you busy these days? (More specific than “how are you” but still open enough for any answer)
5. I was thinking about you — what’s new in your world? (Warm opener that invites real sharing)

Take This Further

• I’d guess most of us thought about checking in with close friends, but maybe it was with acquaintances. If that’s the case then I’ve got something else for you: A Survival Guide for Navigating Small Talk: Episode 49 of the Friendship IRL Podcast
• More about Emotional Intimacy Roots (One of three kinds of roots in my Roots of Friendship Framework)

Next Round Table

Next, I might be drowning in responses because we’re diving into a hot-button topic

Bring your thoughts! We’re going to dive into the nitty-gritty.

💬 Let’s Get Into It!

What’s your favorite way to check in that actually gets your friends talking — and if someone shares a question that’s way better than yours, definitely steal it!