Happy Weekend Fabbies! I was at the beach yesterday with my kiddies, doing our usual: I lay out while they build sandcastles around me (Along with their beach toys, I bring water bottles for them to pour in the sand and have their way with it), they run around for a bit, bury their feet and legs in the sand, and we eventually go to the edge of the ocean so they can splash around and run away from the waves. Anyway, while the usual was going on, I noticed a group of four women not too far from me laying out next to each other, taking pictures, laughing, and having a grand ole time.

 

I enjoyed watching them cackle like school girls, soaking up the sun, and just enjoying each other’s company. Maintaining and cultivating friendships isn’t always easy. Why? Because life happens! You move away, you have kids, you get married, you relocate because of a new job, you have take care of a sick relative, etc. Life can get hectic! And for some women, their family life/husband or boyfriend/busy work schedule consumes A LOT of their time, so making time to hang out with friends sometimes takes a backseat. However, even when life can get extremely busy, it’s so important to try and make time for your close friends. Lord knows I’m guilty of not calling or texting some of my friends as often as I should. Fortunately I have some great girls in my life who mutually understand that life can get busy, so they don’t hold that against me lol. I’ve been pretty lucky that even though I’ve moved often, I still get a chance to hang out with my close friends at least once a year for a long girls’ weekend or visit.
Those reunions are always ones for the record books too might I add lol.

But having close relationships with a girlfriend is important. They’re there for fashion advice, relationship advice (but PLEASE don’t give unsolicited advice when it comes to your friend’s man! Only if she asks for it!), they’re there for you to vent to, laugh about something they experienced, parent advice, they’re there in time of bereavement, they’re there just for you when you need someone to listen. While your husband or boyfriend can provide all of those things, there just is something special about a shared bond with a girlfriend (or close female family member). Nobody understands a woman quite like another woman. Girlfriends just get it.

I’m happy to say that I’ve met some incredible women over the years, and have learned a lot from each and every one of them. I also admire other women who seem to have close friendships, such as those ladies I saw at the beach. That’s another reason that one of my favorite Series /Movies is Sex and the City. Those four women experienced everything you could possibly think of for over a decade as friends, including falling out with each other, death of family members, divorce, infertility, cancer, career woes, and of course failed relationships with men. Through all of that, they had each other. Having someone there to go through those hardships (and triumphs) makes life a little bit easier.

And sometimes, these friends come don’t come in your typical form. My sisters are my close friends as well. My mother is my close friend. Hell, if her and I don’t talk on the phone everyday then I don’t even feel right! So for all of you reading this, I truly hope that you have a girlfriend in your corner, cheering you on when you succeed, and picking you up when life beats you down. Sometimes you just need a moment with your girlfriend, sharing a bottle of wine and letting your hair down.
Or maybe that girlfriend needs you to be a listening ear, because in the end, we all need each other. 🙂