by Amy Downing | Feb 27, 2026 | The Friendship Gap
I want to name something that gets misdiagnosed constantly. A woman surrounded by friends — good ones, kind ones, ones who show up — still feels something hollow at the center of her social life. And the world hands her one word for it: lonely. But that word might not...
by Amy Downing | Feb 13, 2026 | Everyday Tools
Picture this: your thumbs are cramped, your wrists ache, and your eyes are tired from squinting at the tiny screen. It’s a familiar scene for anyone who spends too much time texting or dealing with digital devices. I was tired of the eyestrain I got from typing texts....
by Amy Downing | Feb 2, 2026 | Everyday Tools
For years, I could tell almost immediately when a book was right for me—and when it wasn’t. Some books pulled me in quietly. Others felt like effort from the first few pages, even when they were well written and widely praised. I trusted that instinct. What I didn’t...
by Amy Downing | Jan 30, 2026 | The Friendship Gap
It was just a casual night out. A small group gathered for drinks and appetizers in a low-key, cozy bar—the kind of evening you expect to leave feeling good, having spent a few hours catching up with people you’ve known for decades. The conversations are always...
by Amy Downing | Jan 23, 2026 | The Friendship Gap
In the summer of 2022, things were starting to reopen after COVID. Like a lot of people, my thoughts turned to reaching out to friends I hadn’t seen during the lockdown. A favorite winery had moved to a new location, and it had a patio. I texted my friend and...
