An ode to girlfriends

I have developed an increased understanding in recent years as to why women join book clubs. When I was younger, I thought women got married, lost all their friends, then realized later they should not have spent so much time with their husbands and needed to find new friends. Instead, it has come to my attention that no matter the status of a woman’s career, relationships or lifestyle, she needs women in her life for the simple, yet critical reason of maintaining sanity on earth.

I consider myself one of the lucky ones. I managed to find and keep eight best girlfriends from college, pick up a few more in the time I lived in Florida and Denver, and have enjoyed near-weekly ladies nights with an amazing group of girls in Chicago. The quest for any woman to find another female she “clicks” with is not an easy venture, but those fortunate enough to find these true, deep friendships should do everything in their power to hold them close.

Few men can understand the bond women share, but nearly every woman would agree it exists. Females have an instinctive code of loyalty that aims to defend, fight for and protect those they love. Many call this “girl code,” and I have become an increased believer that the female species comes into the world genetically encrypted with it. We empower our fellow women to be happy, respected and to never settle. And we will defend against any man, boss or sour enemy that gets in the way of this.

Girlfriends have a way of enhancing the already good times in life and saving one another from the bad. Whether it means pulling out the high heels for a fancy night on the town or drowning away sorrows with Sex & the City marathons, frozen pizzas and a few bottles of wine, true girlfriends support it all with a solid shoulder to lean on and a round of shots waiting as backup. Women stand by one another, sob together and always find a way to justify why a day of eating too much chocolate and not exercising is actually healthy. Somehow, there is always a reason to deserve the indulgence.

It is not enough to have friends who are girls. No matter the age, every woman needs a girlfriend, a confidant she can call during a 2:00am panic attack, last-minute closet raid or emergency vent session. I am not new to understanding the importance of these friendships, but the older I get and the more I travel, the more I appreciate the role they play in life. True girlfriends not only provide happiness and love, but also bring forth a sense of peace and balance to this ever-spinning world. I would be a different person if I did not have friends like this, and I am a better person today because I do.

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Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash