Why Women Need Friends

Why Women Need Friends and How to Keep Them: "...men and women practice friendship in different ways. While women connect through sharing about their lives, men bond through “doing.” In his article for The Women on the Web, he borrows an analogy from sociologists, explaining, “Women’s friendships are ‘face to face’ while men’s friendships are ‘side by side." 'via Blog this'

I've noticed a tendency towards women trying to develop friendships like men do through "doing". There are a few women's social groups even where I live that focus on going out and doing various activities. Which I guess is where you have to start, but nothing ever goes beyond superficial activities.

For deeper, more meaningful connections, I believe there has to be more heart-to-heart sharing of those things that inspire or even trouble us. The deepest connections can come from having a trusting friendship where we can share our most difficult struggles and fears.  These are the types of friendships we are more likely to be able to keep.

Women definitely need friends and for the sake of our mental and even physical health and well-being, we should prioritize making and keeping friendships.

Writing for the site The Women on the Web, Zaslow says, “A host of studies show that having a close group of friends helps women sleep better, improve their immune systems, stave off dementia and actually live longer.”

Hand In Hand

Friendship, a photo by *¦·sindorella·¦* on Flickr.

A friend is one to whom you can pour out the contents of your heart, chaff and grain alike. Knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.
~ Unknown

How inspiring is the innocence of little girls, walking hand in hand. I wish these traits of innocence and trust stayed just as strong into adulthood.

But alas, we suffer life's blows and become jaded as we get older.  At least that's what happened to me.  I wish that I never felt like I had to be on guard and could rest assured that I would be accepted just as I am.

Childhood friends are so precious.  I had a friend named Synthia who was the greatest treasure from my otherwise unpleasant childhood.  I look back and wish that I could relive the time I had with her and could be as close to her now as I was then.

I will always and forever treasure Synthia and the close friendship we had.