Female friendships are one of the most profound forms of love. In a world that strives to pit women against one another and labels female friendships as “dramatic,” my gratitude for the women who have brought so much love and light to this world is endless.
I once believed the most important friendships were the ones I made as a kid, playing on the playground or giggling all night at sleepovers. But I never expected life to surprise me one day with the most beautiful people in the chapters I thought I had to face on my own. These friends may never have visited my childhood bedroom or attended my 10ᵗʰ birthday party, but they know the darkest parts of my mind and the kindest parts of my soul. In short, these friendships have become the greatest blessing in my life, so saying I’m grateful feels like a major understatement.
“Nearly everything I know about love, I’ve learnt from my long-term friendship with women,” Dolly Alderton writes in her 2018 memoir, Everything I Know About Love, and I couldn’t agree more. The most important lessons I have learned in life haven’t come from a lecture hall or a 700-page textbook; they come from truly knowing someone’s soul. These women have shown me life’s beauty, even when the world is unkind.
These friendships have taught me that love was never supposed to be conditional. After going through a despondent breakup, as if my life had shattered and the pieces could never be put back together, my female friendships were truly a lifeline. On the days I couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down my face, they never judged me; they were always right there, holding my heart as the color came back to my face.
I may not be able to add more years to my life, but these women add so much life to my years. The countless late-night conversations over our overpriced Wendy’s DoorDash, the inside jokes that probably sound crazy to anyone else, and the scream-singing of the Glee Soundtrack every time we are in the car – these women make my life whole.
I am truly thankful you’ve stood by me through every phase of my life. Whether I’m confident, insecure, excited, overwhelmed, or somewhere in between, you still choose to love and accept me. Thank you for defending me when the whole world, and sometimes even I, was unkind. You’ve celebrated my wins without comparison, comforted me in my losses without judgment, and reminded me that I deserve to be loved.
The greatest privilege of my life is calling these women my closest friends. As we grow, our lives will change, our priorities will shift, and we will evolve into new versions of ourselves. But I hope no matter where life takes us, we will always find our way back to each other.Â
I am, and always will be, eternally grateful for all the women in life who bring such love and light to this world.