The Most Important Quality in a Friend

The older you become, the more you realize how hard it is to get a good friend and KEEP that friendship in the coming years. Life is a roller coaster. You’ll have moments when life pulls the rug out from under you. Maybe it’s a breakup, a lost job, or a bad cold. In those moments, what really matters in a friendship becomes crystal clear. For me, the most important quality in a friend is reliability.

Reliability shows up in the quiet ways someone proves they’re solid. You don’t have to second-guess whether they’ll show up when they say they will. You don’t have to wonder if they’re listening when you speak. When you call, they answer—or call back. When you need them, they make time. Not every time, but enough that you never feel alone. And when you say something important once, they remember.

Life gets busy. People study full time, start a new relationship, start families, change careers. Schedules clash and time zones widen. But a reliable friend finds a way through that noise. They don’t need daily check-ins to prove they care; they show up when it counts. They’re the ones who remember the big interview or check in when you said you were feeling down. Not because you reminded them—but because they paid attention.

Reliability isn’t about perfection. It’s about consistency. It’s someone who follows through, who doesn’t flake when things get inconvenient. It’s the friend who says, “I’m here for you,” and actually means it. And that kind of dependability in a chaotic world? That’s gold.

Sure, we all love a friend who’s funny, adventurous, or wise. Those qualities make for unforgettable memories. But the glue that holds a friendship together isn’t excitement—it’s trustworthiness. 

A certain peace comes from knowing someone’s in your corner, no matter what. You don’t have to wear a mask or worry they’ll disappear when things get messy. With a reliable friend, you can just be yourself. This is one of the rarest friendships of all time, and when you find one, do your best to keep it!

At the end of the day, reliability keeps you going. And in a world that constantly changes, having someone you can count on is the greatest friendship.

What If You Could Have Everything: Being Rich During Inflation

What is the price of having it all?

Everything costs too much these days. You can look at a grocery bill from three months ago, blink, and those same items will cost you $10 more just three months later. And if you think you’re losing your mind – you’re not. Shrinkflation means the same stuff you used to buy can be in smaller packages – and cost the same. Now, wouldn’t it be awesome if some money could just fall from the sky?

Imagine if you could have it all. Because now would be a great time to be rich. Case in point: I’m about to lose my job, but I haven’t told my wife. She would panic. We have mortgage payments. Car payments. So today, after work, I bought myself a lottery ticket. It was time to change it all. 

I told the guy at the counter, “I gotta win this. If I win a million dollars, I’ll have everything I could ever want!” I scratched the paper in front of me, rubbed my eyes, blinked, and read the ticket again. I won! I actually won! I was about to be the best husband ever! 

The guy at the counter congratulated me. “Now spend your winnings wisely. And then you’ll have everything.”

Ok, that was some weird advice. I opened my wallet and placed the ticket inside. To my surprise, my wallet was thicker than usual. “What the….” Several hundred-dollar bills were stuffed inside. Were they real? I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen a hundred-dollar bill. I slammed the wallet shut. I didn’t want to be robbed. What was going on?

I rushed home and found Mara in the kitchen making dinner. “Babe!” I caught my breath after running in from the garage. “Honey!”

My wife set the potatoes she’d been peeling on the counter. “You ok, hon?”

“The…” I grabbed the stack of cash from my wallet. “The money! We have money! It just appeared out of nowhere!” 

“How?” She took the hundred-dollar bill that I had handed to her and studied it with her bank-teller expertise. “It’s the real thing!” she said, astonished.

“I won the lottery! I bought this ticket,” I said, taking it out. “Then I put it in my wallet, and just like that! All this cash before I even cashed in my ticket!” I gave the wallet a dramatic flourish that caused it to fly out from my fingers. It fell into a bowl of salad and the salad fell to the floor as thousands of bills scattered over the kitchen floor, like a pile of autumn leaves that came up to our knees. 

I was speechless as Mara started counting just a portion of the cash. “That’s five thousand right here,” she said, holding out the small wad of bills in her hand. The pile of hundreds was so thick I couldn’t see the kitchen floor. When I saw her mouth was open in amazement, I realized I needed to shut my own.

“Is this for real?” she finally asked. “We could pay off the car with this! And buy groceries. And a few mortgage payments! How did you do this? Can you make more money?” She started to gather the cash into piles and stuff them into garbage bags.

“I don’t know,” I said, picking up my wallet and the ticket next to it. “The guy said, ‘Now spend your winnings wisely. And then you’ll have everything.’ That’s some oddball advice. But we’ll be ok now. We can finally go on vacation! How cool is that? We can have everything we want! I can buy you that necklace you wanted! And all because I stopped to buy a ticket!”

“What ticket?”

“This!” I put the ticket in her hand. She didn’t say a word. I saw money, so much money, flying into the air like thick snow. For a moment, I couldn’t see anything but swirling paper. Then the cash settled in a pile up to my waist.

Mara was gone. The ticket lay at the top of the pile, where she had once been standing.

Do You Remember Life Before the Internet?

(How the Internet Changed Everything)

I remember the sounds of life before the internet. Before we heard the ding of message notifications or the screeching sounds of amber alerts or weather alerts, we recognized the clunk of the mailbox lid shutting, the rustle of a newspaper unfolding, the beeps as we pressed the number buttons on a phone, the static hum of the radio as it searched for a clear signal. Life before the internet wasn’t quiet, but it sure sounded different.

If you wanted to play with your neighbors, you walked up to their door and knocked on it, and then you’d play with the neighbor’s kids until it was time for dinner, and your parents had no way to figure out where exactly you were until then!   

TV shows had a rigid schedule- no streaming, no video on demand. You could record the show, but if you didn’t, it was like a live event. You couldn’t hit the Pause button if your parents started talking to you. You could only hope to catch that missing moment when you’re available for the rerun–whenever that was.

You bought stuff you wouldn’t buy now because it was a waste of money. If you drove (or if your parents drove) around a lot for vacations or local day trips, you bought a lot of road maps and map books. It was also handy to have a set of encyclopedias. Of course, if you’re still doing your research from them for a school project, you hoped that your facts were up to date enough! And of course, things could serve double duty. Those thick White Pages were good for door stoppers and steps to help you reach the top shelf.

Back then, you learned the magic of waiting. Snail mail took weeks–first, it took several days for your letter to reach its destination, then days for the reply to arrive in your mailbox (assuming the recipient wrote back immediately). You were more selective about picture taking because each photo cost money, and you had to wait in anticipation to see how a picture you took a few days or months ago turned out! 

Back then, we had connection, but in a different way. If you liked walking while talking on the phone, chances were, you experienced the phone cord yanking the receiver out of your hand if you walked too far. If you liked a boy at school, you had to brave talking to his parents if he wasn’t the one to answer your call; this was one way to get to know his family.   

Of course, the internet has given us so much. The convenience of streaming TV shows so our entertainment revolves around our schedules, not vice versa. The efficiency of finding someone you’re trying to meet by sharing a location pin. The closeness of seeing and hearing your loved one in a live video call from another country. 

And then there’s the mix of the old and the new. I’ve arrived at a friend’s house and stood within arm’s reach of the working doorbell. Send a text when you’re outside! she said. So I pull out my phone, type “Here,” and wait for the door to open instead of knocking on it. This is life after the internet.

What do you think?

And for nostalgia, here’s that dial-up sound of the early internet.

What Things Can’t You Live Without?

What can’t you live without? More specifically, what personal belongings can’t you live without? This question put me in that hypothetical situation where you have ten minutes to grab whatever personal items I value most. Of course, I can’t carry every personal belonging I have, but I did narrow down the list to just a few things that I own that mean the world to me.

First, my phone. It’s not just my communication tool—it’s where I store memories, photos, messages, and reminders. Why my phone is my most important possession becomes clear every time I reach for it. Constantly. I feel cut off from the world without it. It’s the device I use to stay connected, organize my daily life, and capture important moments.

Next, there are my keys. They really do open doors to the most important places. I once misplaced my house keys and thought I’d be spending the night outside—homeless. That moment gave me flashbacks about what I liked most about my home and had me promising to never misplace my keys again.

Another item I hold dear is my small collection of personal memorabilia: pebbles, shells, and fallen acorns gathered from various walks in nature. These meaningful keepsakes aren’t valuable to anyone else, but they remind me where I’ve been, and they’re as precious as photographs.

Finally, my computer. As a modern writer, I rarely touch paper. My laptop holds every draft, idea, and story I’ve ever written. It’s not just a machine — it’s a storage place for my creativity. Without it, I’d lose precious copies of my work.

So, what personal items do people value most? For me, it’s these: a phone, keys, sentimental souvenirs, and my computer. They may seem ordinary, but each one plays a vital role in my daily life.  

How to Find Work-Life Balance in a Fast-Paced World

In a world that moves at the speed of instant messaging and 24-hour services, burnout is almost inevitable. Especially with remote work people like me, the line between home and office often blurs when you’re answering a work email before bed. Striking the right balance isn’t about clocking out at 5 p.m. sharp every day—it’s about creating a schedule that supports both your professional goals and your personal well-being.

Why It Matters

When I first started working from home, I thought skipping my commute would free up more time for myself. It did, but I found myself answering late-night emails and checking Slack before breakfast. The lines between work and home life became blurred. Eventually, I realized that being always available didn’t make me more productive—it made me live in my office.

Strategies for Better Balance

1 Set Clear Boundaries
It’s hard to set a clear work schedule (some people do) when you’re working with people in more than one time zone. I find it easier to work in time blocks. This way, I can still check my email at night after hours, but I’m not constantly responding to messages throughout the day, whenever they happen to land on my desk.

2 Prioritize Tasks
I like to start the day off with an easy task so I immediately feel like I’ve accomplished something. Then I tackle the tasks that must be done that day, and work on the tasks that don’t have deadlines last. If the time-sensitive task is something I loathe doing, I reward myself with a snack when I’m done.

3 Take Breaks
Working from home gives you easy access to YouTube and streaming TV. I use break times to watch a few videos, take a walk, or have a snack. (If the work that day is stressful, I take more breaks.)

4 Make Time for What Matters
Whether it’s reading a book before bed or having dinner with family, these moments are important. I block off a few hours a day for “me time,” social time, and study time. 

5 Communicate Openly
When you work remotely, the office isn’t as aware if you’re struggling with work issues. I need to take the responsibility of telling my manager when I’m stretched thin, and need deadlines adjusted and tasks reallocated. This is the best way to establish some boundaries and protect your mental health.

The Takeaway

Work-life balance isn’t always easy to achieve. Some weeks will be harder than others, but regularly checking in with yourself makes all the difference. By protecting your personal time, you protect your energy, creativity, and motivation.