Everyone has experienced everything with their best girlfriend and have basically faced life together, but what is the actual breakdown of the girlfriend role?
Many of us may have a girlfriend for every occasion. There’s always one girlfriend who has our back, one that keeps it 100% real, another that will let us cry on her shoulder, and the one that loves to party, is completely wild and she never gets caught.
We all have different definitions and ideas of what a true girlfriend should be. I used to believe that I only needed one girlfriend that had several good qualities of many girlfriends. I also had to learn the hard way that not every girlfriend is here for your best interest.
Sometimes you also outgrow your girlfriends. Growth is a funny thing; as a person, you undergo a natural development, and sometimes that includes losing the people you actually care for.
I had one girlfriend that I knew for over 8 years. She had some changes in her life that made her become an adult real quick. I, on the other hand, was still in high school trying to balance school, my actual job, after school activities, and a long-distance friendship.
Yet my girlfriend wasn’t supportive of me as I was of her. This led to many nasty arguments throughout our entire 16 years of knowing each other. I ended it. I ended that friendship because I was tired of the constant arguing, me giving support, and being a good friend without the same in return. One thing I can say is being her friend felt like a second job and I’m glad I no longer have that role. As time moved on I gained 3 new girlfriends. I have one that loves to party and go out all the time, one that is the funniest person I have ever met, and another who is so down to earth and has my back (even when I’m wrong.)
One show that I can say helped me understand the value of friendship and to actually know your worth is the TV series “Girlfriends.” 20 years ago the 8 season hit television show aired on the United Paramount Network (UPN) and it’s now on Netflix. Although I was a child I still remember the ups and downs the characters Joan, Antoinette (Toni), Lynn, and Maya had. On the show, you had Toni who was self-absorbed, Joan the mother of the group, Maya the sassy and wannabe classy friend, and Lynn the environmentalist. Each character carried their own personality and was there for one another, but also became each other’s downfall sometimes.
In a very specific episode, Toni became pregnant and had to care for her child on her own while Joan became a successful business owner. To Toni, Joan ignored her when she needed her to help the most, but as for Joan, she was being rewarded for a successful career. From that episode, I noticed a sign of jealousy. I believe that girlfriends should never be jealous of one another. We should uplift each other and congratulate each other’s success.
Being with my new girlfriends I have learned from them. I learned the power of friendship goes a long way, I gained more control of my happiness, even if we don’t talk 24/7 we always come back together like we didn’t miss a beat.
If you take anything from this article, understand that the people you’re around, affect who you can or will become. Surround yourself with bright, and positive girlfriends that can bring the best out of you.