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We all need good girlfriends.
They make us laugh, support us in our most trying times and simply make our lives worth living.
Plus, research has shown that friendship makes us healthier.
One 2015 study found that a lack of social connections carries a similar health risk as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day! If you needed more proof that you can’t live without your girlfriends, there you have it!
But just like a romantic partner, no one friend is ever going to be everything to you. We need different people in our lives to teach us about the world, help us grow and bring out the best in us.
And as we get older and experience hardship and challenges, we need our girlfriends more than ever.
Here’s a look at the girlfriends every woman needs in her life and should feel grateful for:
When we’re struggling with an aspect of our lives, we need that girlfriend who recognizes the problem and brings it to our attention. If your relationship with your partner is making you unhappy, if you’re holding back in your career or if you look so rundown because you need to take better care of yourself, this friend will tell you.
She doesn’t do it to be rude, but because she loves you so much that she can’t stand to see you sabotage your life. We all need this friend who is honest and knows when we need a cold hard dose of reality.
This is the friend who starts her own business, who volunteers her time to awesome charitable organizations you’ve never heard of and who hosts fun parties with other amazing women.
She’s the one you see out in the world achieving great things and it inspires you to do the same. She’ll invite you to fundraisers that will open your eyes up to new opportunities and introduce you to even more people who motivate you to live a bigger life.
We are who we spend our time with, so this friend is one to truly to be grateful for, not only because how much fun she is to be around but because she makes you a better person!
She encourages you to follow your dreams, no matter how scary they might be. She pushes you on stage to sing karaoke and she signs you up for boot camps and Color Runs. She encourages you to date and even hijacks your online dating profile.
Sometimes you want to strangle her and tell her no, but you always say yes, because you know that only good can come from getting out of your comfort zone. To live a great life we need to take risks, and we all need that girlfriend who reminds us of that every day and will never let us get into a rut!
You know that girlfriend who has fun wherever she goes? Every gathering becomes a party when she shows up, every conversation you have makes you laugh uncontrollably and every night out with her leads to an unexpected and unforgettable place.
We all need that friend who reminds us that life is supposed to be a fun adventure and to stop taking it all so seriously!
Sometimes we just need to talk about what’s bothering us, and this girlfriend will listen intently and will never judge you. You always feel better after talking with her, and she’ll offer a few words of advice if you need it, or will just lend a sympathetic ear or a shoulder to cry on.
This friend loves you unconditionally and reminds you that no matter how bad you’re feeling, it will get better. She gives great hugs too! 🙂
She’s your emergency contact, your backup babysitter and the first call you’d make if you ever landed in the slammer. 😉 No matter what you need, she’s there for you, no questions asked. She does it because she loves you and knows you would do the same for her!
This friend may be from another country, may have grown up in very different circumstances than you or may have a disability. You learn new things about the world just by being around her, and you learn more about yourself in the process. You can’t imagine who you’d be and how much smaller your world would be without her.
Sometimes we need a perspective that can only come from someone who has been on this earth longer than us. She’ll remind you what is really important in life and will share her greatest successes and failures, so you can learn from them as she has.
If you’re ever feeling stuck or dissatisfied in your life, she’ll help you see the big picture so you can move forward with confidence.
This is the girlfriend who has been by your side for years, who will reminisce with you about that epic bad haircut you had in 10th grade, your first boyfriend and the crazy parties you went to together. She’ll tell you all the ways that your fiancé is way better for you than anyone else you’ve dated and will remind you of your dreams and aspirations.
She is there for you always and is someone who you know will truly be your friend forever, no matter what happens. Hold on tight to her and never take her for granted! Lifelong friends are rare and beautiful!
Take a moment to think about these amazing women in your life. If you haven’t seen or talked to them in a while, pick up the phone and catch up! Send them a card and tell them how important they are to you and that you’re grateful for their friendship!
If you want to take it one step further, have a Friendaversary, where you celebrate your friendship with your best friend!
Here are a few ideas for your Friendaversary celebration:
What ways will you celebrate your girlfriends?
It’s also worthwhile to think about which girlfriend YOU are. Do you inspire your girlfriends and push them out of their comfort zones? Are you an amazing listener and inspire others to have fun no matter what? What can you do to be a better friend?
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The only way to have a friend is to be one.”
Thanks for reading, friend! I’m so grateful to be able to share and connect with you! 🙂
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