When you are young, your girls are your best friends. You play with sand, then dolls then makeup. You study, work, and plan together. It all seems easy. But as we grow older, life gets in the way. Romantic relationships, work, family, kids, and other things make it seem like you have less than 24 hours in a day. Sometimes we think we don’t need our girls around us anymore.
As the dynamics begin to change, you realize that people often bash female friends and female friendships. You often hear about petty drama, fighting over boys, “jealousy”, women not wanting other women to win and many other reasons. These reasons are usually from women trying to excuse their lack of female friends. And unfortunately, some women think it is a trend and a great thing to say that they prefer to be surrounded by men. But if you always must put down women to feel cool then maybe you need to be introspective about the source of the problem. Because you should always strive to be the kind of person you want to be friends with.
So why should we fight to keep our female friendships thriving?
Women go through peculiar things together
No matter how close you are to a non-female friend, there’s no way they would understand what it feels like to be a woman. We are peculiar beings that go through so many things that can’t be explained unless you go through them too. Pregnancy, childbirth, trying for a baby, hormonal illnesses, being a minority, heck even living in a patriarchal world. There’s nothing like having girls there around to listen and understand what it is like.
There’s nothing like creating memories with your girls
Having an amazing time with your favourite girls helps you create memories that you can’t get anywhere else. The late night drunk gists with plenty of cries and laughs just cannot be replaced and will be remembered forever. Whether it is just wine and pizza on the sofa, or a girl’s trip in Bora Bora, these connections will live in your mind forever.
It’s psychologically proven to make you happier and healthier
Research has shown that people who prioritize friendships and have been in long term friendships have been linked to health and happiness. It may have something to do with the fact that these friendships, unlike romantic relationships, are not built on clauses, agreements, or contracts. They thrive on pure unadulterated, non-selfish love.
Making and keeping friends in your 20s and 30s is so much more difficult than it was earlier in life. But intentionally deciding to prioritize these friendships will lead to a lot of fulfillment and provide people that will always root for you.
You should also try to be an amazing friend all the way. Be sure to not let the friendship be one sided. It is tough to find great people that match your energy. But when you do, work hard to not let them go. They’ll be there with you for the entire ride.