Treasure Your Girlfriends

I believe that girlfriends are the sisters we choose. As we grow older and wiser, we appreciate our girlfriends even more. Now that I am a “woman of a particular age,” I cherish the time we spend together. Some of them are no longer on this planet. However, the memories live on.

In the words of William Shakespeare, “A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.”

They provide support in various ways; emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. All friendships, whether they be male or female, are born out of a common bond, respect, and shared values. The love that develops from each friendship is based on trust. Real friendships can’t exist without trust.

I trust my girlfriends for different things. I trust one to give me spiritual advice, as we all have different spiritual beliefs; I trust another to give me investment advice, legal advice, relationship advice, and the list goes on. Girlfriends do not have to be perfect. However, you must have something in common with that person.

Too many of us try to put all our emotional requirements on one friend, and when that person disappoints us, we are broken. When you develop a circle of core friendships, you have a broader support circle. For example, I will not take a vacation with all of my girlfriends. I am not a detailed planner when it comes to my daily activities while on vacation. I am a “go with the flow” kind of girl when I am on holiday. My career demands so much detail planning that I need the exact opposite when I am on vacation.

As I grow wiser, I have come to realize that vulnerability is a key requirement for me in all my female friendships. If we can’t be vulnerable with each other at this stage of our lives, it is not a real friendship.

Having a solid girlfriend circle is crucial to finding happiness and enjoying a great quality of life. We all need each other. I don’t know where I would be today without my girlfriends. Of course, I have had girlfriends who have hurt me along the way, and I have also hurt them. I don’t regret those experiences. We have both learned valuable lessons about friendship. I still cherish the great times we shared. If you still have girlfriends from your childhood, that is a blessing. However, all of them may not be your friends today. As we grow,we outgrow. That is a part of life.

For our girlfriends who have withstood the test of times, we must cherish each other. Even though most of us live very busy lives, we need to make time for those valuable girlfriends that have been there through our highs and lows. Those are the real ones. A real girlfriend is not a perfect girlfriend. She is simply not afraid to admit when she messed up and to fight hard for a friendship that she treasures.