CAN WE FIND REAL FRIENDS AFTER RETIRING?

When I woke up this morning, as usual I turned on the iPad and set out to check the bad news of the day.

However, YouTube quickly moved away from politics and took me to the video of a French psychologist whose topic was the elderly. His theory about a happy old age was well-known: the importance of having friends with whom to share a drink and chat. The presenter argued that it can even be said that our need to have friends has a genetic component. If we analyze the life of human beings in general, nothing sounds truer: from a very young age, one of our most important concerns is to have as many friends as possible. So much so that those of us who did not have them felt different throughout their young lives. Yet, that is the story of our youth; when we reach old age things change. Although in our young years we were strong enough to tolerate those friendships that were not sincere, as soon as we set foot in our last life stage, we are only able to endure sharing our time with people who are able to disperse for a moment our daily loneliness. Unfortunately, very few people our age have the potential of being that kind of friend. Many of the acquaintances we usually meet are not for sure the refuges we are looking for. The question is why? The answer is not difficult to discern: one does not become a valuable friend without first having lived a life based on responsibility, respect, and sincerity with those around them: their children, friends, relatives, work colleagues, neighbors, strangers, etc. Only a life lived with conscience allows us to reach the final stage with our soul at peace, and at the same time be excellent company for those around us. Sadly, not many of us were able to face life's many obstacles and come out unscathed; that made them basically aggressive and unable to share precious moments with others. The life they lived only taught them to think about themselves and that is not enough to become a good friend.