March is Women’s History Month and March 8 is International Women’s Day. While the global focus may be on important female contributions throughout the world and history, an important cause to recognize and celebrate, I want to bring the focus closer to home. Who are the important women in your life, past and present? Sure, mothers, mother figures, grandmothers, mentors, sisters, daughters, teachers, coaches. How about your female friends, your BFFs, your bestie, your call at 3 am? This month, while it is important to to honor the important women in our collective history, and in your history and current life in all kinds of roles, I’m calling your attention especially to honor your female friends.
Women tend to have rich, varied, and textured female friendships. There’s the recreating friends, think the women on my tennis team, golfing group, majong group, knitting circle; there’s the role-based friends, such as a work buddy, colleague, or a Mom’s group; there’s the long-time friends from phases in your life such as childhood or high school or college; there’s community friends, such as neighbors or from your place of worship or a community group. And then, there’s the BFF or bestie, those women in your inner-most circle that you can tell all, count on, and call at 3 am. I’m sure there are other types of female friends as well, but this names a few.
Think of the women in your life that fall into one or more of these types of female friendships. Female friendships meet critical social and interpersonal needs; meeting emotional intimacy needs, gathering for all of the seasons and events of life, big and small, to witness with each other and show up for each other. With loneliness at epidemic levels, those friendships are a lifeline in good times and bad. Your girlfriends are a critical part of your support system. Girlfriends offer support, information, advice, empathy and validation, shared experiences and memories, real talk, and a ride, casserole, or helping hand when needed. You learn from each other, grow with each other, hold each other up, and calm each other down. And don’t forget the fun and the laughter! Such good medicine for your mental and physical health.
So this month, text your friend and ask how her week is going. Call her up and invite her to meet you for coffee or a meal, or …. Make time for each other and nurture that connection. Treat those friendships in a way that acknowledges just how valuable they are. Put in the time, care, and attention to nurture these valuable relationships. The return on investment is phenomenal.
