Today we’re talking about friendships. Have you ever struggled to find close girlfriends? Have you always felt on the outside of girlfriend groups? Do you have a group of friends that needs to be more intentional about getting together. If you said yes to any of those questions, then this episode is for you!
If you’ve read any of my books, you know that I was a latecomer to the world of having close friends (can you relate?). I talk about this a lot in my book Better Together, which is all about making friends. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I finally met my group of girlfriends. Those three friends and I have maintained our relationship through the years, but it has taken intentional effort on all our parts. I want to share a conversation all four of us had on our most recent girls’ trip where we talked about what it takes to make and keep friendships.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- Some keys to stay connected with your friends
- How to stay connected even when you live far apart
- Advice on planning a great girls’ trip
- And more!
These ladies are some of my favorites, and I hope you enjoy this conversation!
P.S. Here’s the photos from the ice cream shop I mentioned in the episode. Listen in to hear the story!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
My Key Takeaways:
1) Take the initiative. Connecting with friends consistently isn’t easy, especially if you live in different states. The best advice for keeping those relationships strong is to take the initiative; don’t spend your time wondering if your friends are thinking of you. Instead, reach out to them! Ask your friends out for coffee if they are local, or plan a digital coffee date if they live far away.
2) Make friendship a priority. If you are in the “mom” stage of life, this can be particularly difficult, but it is well worth the effort. You need to prioritize time with your friends. This might be a standing “girls night” where your hubby takes the kids so you ladies can spend kid-free time together. Or, it could be something as simple as regularly sharing in a text group about your day or sharing your latest score in Wordle.
3) Make plans well in advance. If you want to go on a girls’ trip like our group of gals does, then you need to start the planning one or even two years in advance. Coordinating schedules and childcare can make it hard to set aside dedicated time for a trip. Don’t be discouraged if you need to make it a trip that happens once every five or ten years. Overall, you need to make any trip realistic for the stage of life you are all in, affordable, and most importantly fun!
About Jody, Julie, and Laura:
My gang of golden girls is made up of Jody, Julie, and Lora. We have been friends for over 40 years! These three gals have been friends since 3rd grade and they became my friends in my junior year of high school. Jody is a mom of two daughters and was a photographer for most of her career but now primarily house and dog sits while she travels. Julie is a mom of four, grandma to seven and is a birth doula and lactation consultant. Lora is a recent empty nester with her fourth child moving out this Fall. She also has several grandchildren.
