@JPB,
My last boss (um, circa 1990, when I started a practice on my own) called me a few days ago, just to catch up. I think that connection lasted because of all the laughs we had for so many years, not just he and I but the whole crew of us.
When I was in California recently, one of the people I saw was a woman I had worked with, a peer.. and we had had a falling out, way back when, even amid that crew of laughers. We gave each other the old silent treatment for a while, back in the day. Anyway, that passed, we both matured and went out for lunch..
so, all this time later, we spent a good part of the day at the Getty Malibu yacking happily, including over lunch.
So, what do I recommend? Laughter and lunch. And a little art doesn't hurt.