by Amy Downing | Apr 14, 2026 | The Friendship Gap
There is a particular kind of social confusion that is hard to put into words. You have friends. There are people in your life, groups you belong to, places you show up. Adult friendships, on paper, are present in your life. But there is still a quiet sense that...
by Amy Downing | Apr 10, 2026 | The Friendship Gap
There’s a kind of adult friendship that works.You see each other. You talk. You stay in touch. You enjoy the time together. Nothing is wrong. And yet, over time, something becomes noticeable.It never really deepens. The conversation stays in familiar territory. The...
by Amy Downing | Mar 31, 2026 | The Friendship Gap
I want to name something about adult friendships that rarely gets said out loud. You have a friend — maybe even a longtime friend — and nothing is technically wrong. You enjoy her. You laugh. You show up. There’s no conflict, no drama, no betrayal. And yet, when you...
by Amy Downing | Mar 13, 2026 | The Friendship Gap
You have friends. Good ones, even. You see people regularly. You show up to things. You enjoy the company. The conversations are warm and easy and familiar. And then you drive home afterward, and something feels slightly off. Not wrong, exactly. Not bad. Just —...
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...
by Amy Downing | Jan 13, 2026 | Life After 50
Notes from a casual tasting with friends; thank you to Susan Romano for the photos. Shortly after the Christmas holiday, I hosted a small mocktail tasting with friends. I thought it would be a fun excuse to get together, but also I’ve been curious about the options...
