Tom Smith of Omni Bank is one of my closest friends. I stop at the bank at least twice a week to see him, get a few Butterfinger candies from Gilda Arcuri, and enjoy my relationship with all the staff.

Last week, Tom had to quiz me on something he had received titled “The Secrets of a Happy Retirement.” The multi-choice question was: Once you retire, which of the following is likely to have the biggest effect on your happiness?

The size of your nest egg.

Your blood pressure.

The number of people who came to you birthday party.

A hole-in-one at the Augusta National Golf Club.

A big majority of the respondents answered that the number of people who came to their birthday party was the most important.

The article stated that friends are more valuable that gold. A study found that the biggest effect on the well-being of a retiree came from the size of the retiree’s social network. It outweighed even health and money.

Evidently, relationships are more important to us than anything else. They are like flowers; if you don’t nurture and protect them, they die.

If relationships are that important in our journey toward eternity, doesn’t it make sense to develop more of them?

If you have any question, or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call (985) 652-8477, or e-mail: hkeller@comcast.net.