Posts Tagged ‘girlfriends’

Do you have girlfriends? I don’t mean casual acquaintances. I mean women whom you respect and love and feel safe sharing your deepest thoughts and fears.

I hope you do!

Everyone needs at least one person that they feel comfortable sharing uncomfortable and unpopular thoughts. Some might say this person should be your spouse, but I don’t agree. I love Jim to pieces, but there are some things he just doesn’t get. Seriously…he cannot describe a hot flash. But my girlfriends can.

A good girlfriend lets you vent when needed. She listens, offers advice, holds your hand when you’re sad, makes you laugh…and never judges. You do the same thing for her.

You can be silly with your BFF (best friend forever!) and she doesn’t wrinkle her nose at you. Remember having the giggles as a junior high girl? It’s time to find someone you can laugh with like that again. You need tear-inducing, Poise-filling laughter in your life.

She needs to be a great listener and compassionate. But she also needs to know when it’s time to slap you upside the head and tell you to get a grip. She will only let you wallow in your misery for a short time before she calls you on it.

A good friend is forgiving. She understands when you go on and on about your bad hair day–when she’s lost all her hair to chemo and sits across from you wearing a knit cap. Sure, she’s probably calling you a “bitch” in her mind, but she understands too. The same way you understand when she drools and you barely create enough saliva to keep your teeth damp!

I’m blessed with the greatest women friends of all ages. I love them all and hope they know how much I appreciate them.

Do you have close female friends? What do you get from these relationships?

 

I rely heavily on my girl friends for my sanity. They offer me an ear, a shoulder, and a hand when I need it. I can’t imagine not having them in my life.

There probably are women who don’t have girl friends and feel they don’t need them. I wonder if they know what they are missing out on?

If you don’t have girl friends, who do you complain about your husband to? I know, I know! They are nearly perfect! But sometimes you just have to say something about them. And girl friends are perfect for that! Most of the time, my girl friends nod in agreement–because their own spouses annoy them in similar ways. Trust me, if you try being married without a place to vent, you’re going to be miserable!

Who tells you your kids are not the spawn of the devil, but are regular kids? Your husband can’t reassure you because he’s looking on in horror at the same picture you are. Your girl friends are a step removed so they can see the big picture when you can’t. If they have kids who are older, they can reassure you that it’s just a stage. Or it’s completely normal. Even if you see the spark of horror in their eyes, it is quickly extinguished and they will tell you it will all be better soon.

Who do you share your crushes with? Please, don’t tell me you haven’t thought someone on TV or the gym or the store wasn’t cute enough to mention to your girl friends. Sometimes they agree with you. And if they don’t, they will guffaw, make fun of you and move on.

Girl friends don’t let you get full of yourself. Just try being haughty and you’ll soon have one of them pointing out the time you spewed a drink through your nose. Directly in site of a cute guy. Or how you snort when something’s really funny.

I can’t imagine trying to share my love of knitting or other crafty stuff with Jim. I already can see his eyes glazing over and the absent nods as he tries feigning interest. But I can talk endlessly with my girl friends. We can do the crafty things together. We can exchange tips and patterns. We can help each other when we get stuck.

Girl friends are such an important part of life! I hope you have some great ones!

Tell me what you need your girl friends for!