Intrigued by your comment re friendships in US and Europe. I recently read the novel GREY BEES by Ukrainian writer, Andrey Kurkov. I was repeatedly struck by how often characters asked others for help in large and small ways and how the help was almost invariably granted. As an American, this seemed admirable but sort of amazing. Asking a friend to pick up medication at 2 am? I wouldn't even ask my adult daughter (who lives 1 mile away and with whom I have a good relationship) to do that. Interesting.