balance
Why You Need Your Girlfriends AND HOW TO BE A GOOD ONE Written by Jennifer Miller
Does anyone else remember how easy it used to be to make friends? You asked someone if they wanted to swing on the swings or play in the sandbox and moments later, you were truly inseparable. Best friends forever. Cue the Claire’s friendship necklaces (bonus points to you if you remember those). Making friends seems to get a little more difficult as you get older. By high school, most of us stuck to our friend group that liked the same things we did i.e sports, cheerleading, academics, theater, or band. In college, you cling to your sorority sisters or roommates. Each passing year, your friendships change and your group seems to grow a little smaller. Entering adulthood, especially after kids, making new friends is a whole new level of terrifying. Although, when you do find these friends, it’s my opinion that these are the most rewarding friendships you’ll ever have.
possible at these places and are more than happy to get in and get out, speaking to no one. Not exactly the best way to make a new friend. Friendship in your adult years also takes a lot of energy, planning and confidence. This can seem like another item on an already long to do list. However, the payoff is more than we could ever imagine.
So, why is it so scary as adults to try and make a new friend? First of all, meeting new people just doesn’t happen the way it did on the playground. You generally don’t go up to someone at the grocery store, gym,or Target and tell them you like their sweater and leave best friends. In fact, most of us are inclined to make as little eye contact as
Seeing your friendships as an investment is key. And it doesn’t need to be a popularity contest. I would rather have four quarters than a hundred pennies. Quality over quantity. Finding two or three people (outside of your family) who you feel safe with and that can be an anchor for you is all you need.
28 may • june 2022
Society likes to depict romantic relationships as the be all end all. Your partner is all you’ll ever need. Not true. As much as I adore my husband ( and my alone time), there is something magical about meeting up with my two best friends on a Tuesday night at Syringa and not noticing that 3 or 4 hours have passed in a blink of an eye. Your friendships are truly essential to your health, delivering a healthy dose of those feel good hormones which are vital to your emotional well being.
