At Sole Sister Ramblers we celebrate and inspire friendship among women, especially in midlife and beyond. The bond with our female friends is a special one and studies show that close female friendships help us remain healthy and connected as we age.
Good friendships have the power to dispel loneliness, improve health, boost your mood, enhance feelings of self-worth, and add purpose to your life. Research suggests that friendship is linked to longevity. Moreover, loneliness can increase the risk of illness and premature death.
Our brains are wired for connection, and supportive friendships help us feel safe, seen, heard, and understood. Friendships among women are also enduring—the average female friendship lasts 16 years, and once we hit age 55, they last even longer, with an average of 23 years.
I have an extraordinary friendship that has survived over 50 years. We met as children and have had moments of disconnect, of losing touch as we matured into adulthood and moved through our individual life stories. But we have always found our way back to each other. Our relationship is more vital than ever as we begin this next phase of life without the distraction of growing children and hectic jobs.
Midlife and beyond is a time of reinvention, a time to embrace new freedoms and pay closer attention to how and who we want to spend our time with. It's a time of life when we rely on our friendships for support and connection more than ever. So, how do we create, nurture, and maintain our friendships?
We must remember that friendships are cultivated with honesty in our actions and words. We nurture them by being ready to listen, sharing in our friends' triumphs and failures, and being there when they need to talk. Friendships thrive when we're willing to reveal ourselves, feel vulnerable, and be comfortable in sharing our troubles, triumphs, and experiences.
Friendships flourish when we support each other's decisions wholeheartedly and are willing to express our feelings honestly and positively if we feel a friend is moving in a direction that isn't good or healthy. Sometimes, the friendship may feel one-sided, but it is important to remember that friendship can be like a dance, with a back-and-forth of giving and receiving.
Occasionally we all struggle with our willingness to compromise and with refraining from criticizing others' life choices. We must be willing to apologize and accept each other's flaws, not holding grudges or allowing disappointments to overshadow the accumulation of extraordinary moments that we have experienced in the friendship over time. We must embrace the positive because all humans make mistakes.
Remember that giving the essential people in our lives our time, attention, and respect is a beautiful gift.
And so my Sole Sisters, as you ramble through your week, I hope you seek out a friend to share an adventure with!
The signs of a good friendship:
Laughter is abundant
Honesty is encouraged
Vulnerability is welcomed
Support is real and active
You can put your guard down
You inspire each other to grow
You give each other good advice
They help during times of struggle
Both of you feel stronger together - Yung Pueblo
READ MORE > Jane's Mindful Musings, Rambler Cafe Blog
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