What are we without our girlfriends? Like Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King, Tyra Banks and Kimora Lee Simmons — nothing is more valuable than a friend that you can laugh and cry with, share all parts of your life with, and count on in time of need.
We’ve all known each other since elementary school or high school. Most of us grew up on the same block and at the same church. We’ve been through hell and high water together. Boyfriends, babies, husbands, cancer, death of loved ones, college, university, divorces, fights, you name it we’ve been through it….always together! We believe in friendship. We couldn’t imagine growing old, not having any friends who knew us way back when. We have the feisty ones, the peacemakers, the complainers, the jokers, the serious ones, the friend who’s always late. We don’t judge each other; we accept each other’s faults and all.
I refuse to lose a GOOD friend because I don’t want to do the work and have the conversations that are hard to have. I’m willing to say the uncomfortable stuff and speak my truth, always in honesty and in love for the sake of the friendship. And I’m willing to receive my friends’ truth, even when it’s not what I want to hear. It’s an honour to have someone trust you with the issues of their life. Treat it with the same respect you’d want them to treat your private stuff with. Be an honourable friend but, first, be an honourable person. I’m definitely not saying that we’ve been perfect friends but our friends know we love them and that we value their friendship by the way we treat them, rather our times together are frequent or infrequent.
Establish some reasonable friendship requirements such as: we must be able to tell each other the truth no matter what, we must be OK with each other’s personal decisions that don’t directly affect our friendship, we must have realistic expectations of each other because we have lives outside of our friendship, we must be able to celebrate and support each other no matter who’s doing well in life or who isn’t. Perhaps some boundaries need to be set as well, because sometimes friends can confuse themselves with being our parents, our financial or spiritual advisor, our schedule planners, or life coach. If you need something or someone to control, start your own business, buy a pet or have some kids, lol. Remember, being a friend does not mean you get to run someone’s life because you don’t want them running yours. If your core values are the same, work through the challenges and keep on laughing and crying and growing together.
Sometimes it takes just a moment to lose a friend but most often it takes years to gain a real one. So make sure you’re a good friend, a real friend, an honourable friend. Be there for them the way you’d like them to be there for you. Protect them the way you’d want them to protect. Stop trying to run their life because you don’t want them to try and run yours. Have some expectation but don’t be needy, we all want a friend, not a liability. 
Yours in love – The Renaissance Lady ©
As a Mompreneur & Lifestyle Blogger, I am constantly on the goal of being ready for the NEW re-birthing and renewing of Oneself as I believe we all have a purpose to fulfil on this earth and part of my mission is for us all to live a Purpose-Driven Life.
Oh yes! I agree so much. It’s worth the extra work to build those strong friendships. I learned that the hard way when I got divorced! It was amazing who stuck by me and who dropped me!
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Thank you Sasha for your comment. Same here, when going through my divorce, my sista-friends were my anchor and pillar of strength. Please subscribe or follow my blog to be notified of future posts. Yours in love – The Renaissance Lady ©
Yes! I’ve had a best friend since I was 5, and now I’m 42! We’ve been through multiple adventures together as kids and wild times as teens. We’ve supported one another through her divorce and my major depression. She’s like a sister to me.
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Thank you Jennifer for your comment. All of those ladies as shown in the square collage are my BFFs since childhood and even though, we are in different parts of the world, just one phone-call brings it all back to the beginning. Nothing changes and I like it just like that – sista-hood forever. Please subscribe or follow my blog to be notified of future posts. Yours in love – The Renaissance Lady ©
I love posts like these! I feel the same way about my girlfriends! Those bonds are rare and we make sure we stay connected to one another and work through any issues that come our way! Cheers to the Sisterhood!
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Thank you D. Sanders for your comment. I am grateful that you like the sistahood post. The aim is to encourage more of sistahood worldwide of empowerment and friendship. Please subscribe or follow my blog to be notified of future posts. Yours in love – The Renaissance Lady ©
Couldn’t have said it better myself! A good girl friend is definitely hard to find, but a real treasure in your life! Sharing all those moments, and making memories together 🙂 I definitely have some just like yours that will be in my life forever <3
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Thank you Tricia for your comment. Finding real and true friends is a project upon itself but very rewarding with the end results. Please subscribe or follow my blog to be notified of future posts. Yours in love – The Renaissance Lady ©
Loved this! It’s so hard to find -true- friends now a days. People that’ll not only be honest with you when you don’t want to hear it but upfront with you. Telling you exactly what they feel regardless of if it’ll make you mad or not. It’s awesome that God has blessed you with friendships like that! #GOALS <3
-Courtney
http://www.thecurlyanomaly.com
Author
Thank you Courtney for your comment. I feel once you find the set of sista-friends that gel with you and vice versa, you are on a winning streak. Love, Loyalty, Accountability plus Realness is key. Please subscribe or follow my blog to be notified of future posts. Yours in love – The Renaissance Lady ©