We are told that social connections are part of healthy living. Human contact is as important as eating healthful foods, getting exercise and plenty of sleep. There are times when it’s difficult to make those connections such as the first day of school or the first day in a new school, going to college away from home or moving to a new town.

A book I read recently illustrates this difficulty quite well. As a young girl, Captain Tammie Joe Schults dreamed of becoming a pilot in the military. After being turned away by other branches she found a Navy recruiter who encouraged her. At that time th...