Sisterhood

Sisterhood, the relationship between women friends, can't be overstated as one of the best relationships you'll ever have.  I remember as a teenager how it was incomprehensible to me not to have a best friend and a few more casual friends.  It would have been so lonely without them.  As a senior lady, I've made it a mission to gather as many nice lady friends as I can because it fills my life with a happiness that was missing during most of my adult years.


I can honestly say that no group of men has ever made me laugh as hard as a group of women can.  Of course the women have to be compatible to start with and that's easier to arrange than you might think.  I suppose the best women companions are those you grew up with and kept throughout your life but new friends can become just as close, too.  I like being around women who have a sense of humor and are down to earth.  There are other qualities I might look for that make me like their company, too, but that often takes a bit of time to discover.


I can't stand being around dishonest people because it's too tiring trying to figure them out.  And why would anyone bother when there are so many nice people around?  It's fun to hang out with ladies who don't take themselves too seriously and who can laugh at their failings...we all have them!  


It isn't necessary at all for a group of women friends to have identical tastes, likes, dislikes, or lifestyles as long as there's enough common ground for them to identify with.  Sometimes I look around at our rather large group of lady friends in my Florida park and realize how many strong differences we actually have but are still able to bond together.  Many are married, some are widowed, most live in different states or provinces, some are religious and some aren't, some are into sports and some are couch potatoes.  Regardless, when we get together we always have things to talk and laugh about and nobody seems to think they're a star.  It's equality all the way.


Back home I have a smaller group of friends but they're a little different because their ages range from the 30's to the 70's.  The  nice thing is that we talk and laugh together just the same as a group of senior women do.  Sisterhood has no age limit.


Having girlfriends or ladyfriends at any age is a positive thing in your life.  We need the interaction because it helps us understand and cope with whatever else is going on in our lives.  We learn from each other, too, often discovering that we aren't alone in our worries.  Serious talk is usually left to being shared with only a select few, though, while the larger group keeps the moments light.


I've come to the age where I'd much rather spend time with a bunch of women friends that with men.  Some men are very interesting to chat with but sooner or later there's a disconnect that happens just because we're of different sexes.  When you're younger and considering something beyond the talking, the difference is exciting but I'm past all that and now just want the pleasant experience of yakking with lady friends I have more in common with.


Sisterhood.  Some males have no capacity to understand how important this is to females, to our sense of belonging.  My husband felt that I shouldn't need companionship outside our marriage because it threatened him somehow.  He was wrong, of course.  We should form many different bonds...marriage, motherhood, family, and sisterhood in order to be complete.


No matter how old you are, life is just more fun when you have "sisters".