“A sorrow shared is half the sorrow. A joy shared is twice the joy.” Most cultures have a version of this proverb and it is more relevant than ever. Researchers are increasingly alarmed at statistics showing a growth in sorrow and loneliness – as much as half the adult population by some measures – in the United States and are calling it a modern epidemic. Chronic loneliness is being linked to physical illness, functional and cognitive decline, and even early death. Connectin