Although its tone screams children’s literature, this book about how JoJo loves his family and friends by Joyce Nealy surprisingly has lessons for adults too.

Before even opening JoJo’s Adventure, the average adult might already have the idea that there is nothing they can learn from reading such a children’s book, but they are definitely misled by that notion.

This book about how JoJo loves his family and friends by Joyce Nealy is immensely powerful and worth the read in that it reminds its readers, young and old, that family and friends, intimate and lasting relationships, are quite important to living a happy and fulfilling life.

For a lot of people, maintaining relationships with family and friends is a bit hard. There is too little time, too many responsibilities and bills to attend to, and sometimes there’s too much distance. 

Did you know that most Americans will eventually move away from their hometowns? And the number just seems to keep on rising. 

The Importance of Safeguarding Relationships with Family and Friendships

Being with family and friends tends to produce positive results more often than not. It is wonderful to be with people whom you share a connection and common interests with. But there are benefits beyond that as well, such as having a:

• Security and a sense of belonging. Knowing that there are people in who you can find refuge helps individuals be more proactive with personal goals. Being in a close-knit community also does wonders for one’s mental health.
• Network of support and mediation. Having a family and a close circle of friends offers individuals people whom they can reach out to whenever there is a problem that one person can’t handle. Family and friends create a stable foundation for individuals that allow them to discover more about themselves and learn how to navigate the world without fear of retribution.

How to Maintain These Relationships

As was mentioned before, it is extremely important to have positive relationships with family members and friends; and there are plenty of ways to go about maintaining said relationships. Here are just some of them:

Spending Quality Time Consistently. This means taking a break from whatever busy schedule you have and being there for the family on a regular basis. 

• A dinner or simply eating food together is one of the best ways to spend time with family and friends. Talking over a meal, catching up with the times, and discussing issues or points of interest helps build intimacy and understanding while also creating memories.
• Another way of spending time would be to go out and visit local landmarks or places of interest, like the museum, the park, the swimming pool, etc., or go to the beach if there is one nearby; maybe do an excursion like hiking or camping. 
• An activity you could do regularly would be to play board games or video games; this allows for chances to engage with each other casually and form stronger bonds.

Show Appreciation Whenever Possible. The best way to maintain a relationship is to always let family members and friends know that you cherish them, their experiences, and their time. At the heart of every successful relationship is loving one another and showing it however you can.

• In a relationship, there are several areas of interest that overlap; but it doesn’t do anyone harm if you take steps to try out those other interests as well. By showing the initiative to learn more about someone else’s hobbies, you are directly telling them that you want to know more about them and experience their interests.
• Remember anniversaries, birthdays, and the like. If you are someone who is prone to forgetting dates, always plot them down and set reminders. People might be ambivalent if their birthdays are forgotten, but they will appreciate it if it is remembered. The same goes with anniversaries, holidays, and important personal dates; just letting people know that you took the time to remember them is wonderful and helps create better relationships.