In her book, author Susan S. Phillips writes about the importance of maintaining friendship, especially in old age:

Australian palliative care nurse Bronnie Ware works with people who have chosen to die in their own homes. She has asked her patients whether they had regrets as they approached death. Letting friendships lapse was one of the top five regrets people mentioned at the ends of their lives.

Ware writes that many of her patients “had become so caught up in their own lives that they let golden relationships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.”

People regret the loss of friendship, yet our culture offers little instruction about maintaining friendships. Doing so is a spiritual discipline. Phillips presents a view of friendship as a discipline, and offers practical suggestions about cultivating it.