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Celebrating friendships and chosen families this Valentine's Day

Rearview of a group of girl friends hugging each other and looking out at the ocean on a beach after sunset
Kev Klopper
/
iStockphoto
Rearview of a group of girl friends hugging each other and looking out at the ocean on a beach after sunset

Romantic relationships are always in the spotlight for Valentine’s Day. Another type of love deserves some time to shine � the love of close, platonic friends.

Erin Baker-Meno, a mental health therapist in South Burlington, talked about the ways that chosen families can support each other and the first steps to making new friends. Rutland residents Marion Austin and Marcia Rose shared insights into their 50-year-friendship. We also heard from Adrienne Murr, a senior at Dartmouth College, who published in praise of platonic relationships.

Broadcast live on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

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Mikaela Lefrak is the host and senior producer of Vermont Edition. Her stories have aired nationally on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Marketplace, The World and Here & Now. A seasoned local reporter, Mikaela has won two regional Edward R. Murrow awards and a Public Media Journalists Association award for her work.
Andrea Laurion joined ¿ªÔÆÌåÓý as a news producer for Vermont Edition in December 2022. She is a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., and a graduate of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine. Before getting into audio, Andrea worked as an obituary writer, a lunch lady, a wedding photographer assistant, a children’s birthday party hostess, a haunted house actor, and an admin assistant many times over.