Where are the Girlfriends?

Just when you thought you couldn’t take anymore. Just when you thought you were at your wits end.  Something else comes up. You’re dealing with your drama, your children’s drama, and other folks drama. The camel’s hump has caved in, and its back to the breaking point. Who can you call?  I’m not talking about the God thing right now.  I mean who can you pick up the phone and call?

I’m talking about your girlfriend! (Not your romantic interest girlfriend - we don’t need to know any of that…TMI!!)

I’m talking about the “walls are caving in on me”, “I’m losing my mind”, “help I don’t want to hurt myself”, “I need to hide away for a while”, “I’ll kill the bastard”, girlfriend! That one woman, or maybe you’re blessed with more than one, that you can talk to about anything cause she’s got your back. She won’t judge you. Nothing you say will ever be thrown in your face. Talking to her is like talking to a Fort Knox vault; whatever you tell her stays with her.  She’s the one who talks you back from the edge of the precipice, calms you down, helps you find some direction and develop a plan. She’ll find the boxes you need, help you pack and load the car. 

Get the picture?

Quite recently, a friend (a girlfriend) and I got into a conversation about “friends and friendship”. (I’ve texted about this before - the trust factor, not pinning the “friend” label on just anybody, different levels of friendship, blah blah blah.)  What my friend and I discovered is that we both have come to realize how many women out here don’t have “that girlfriend”.  They have a woman, or women, they end up trusting because they’ve got to talk to somebody.  But they know their business is about to go viral and spread like wildfire. 

What happened to the “girlfriend”? When did women stop cultivating relationships with other women? We have become so socialized into competing for men, prestige (fake or not), and wrapped up in our own worlds that we don’t take the time to develop necessary relationships.  And I do mean necessary! 

I’m not suggesting you make just anybody your bestest (yeah I used that word), your bestest girlfriend. Nor am I suggesting you force that kind of relationship on anybody. What I am saying is slow down. Get to know the women in your life. Who do you know you can count on?  Who is in your inner circle?  Life is too hard to try to go it alone. 

To my girlfriends: I love ya and ain’t nothing you can do about it! I’ve always got your back!!