Growing up, I didn’t have many friends. While most kids spent their Saturdays at themed birthday parties filled with cake, chaos and contagious laughter, I spent mine with family, quietly. I wasn’t miserable, just isolated. And that solitude shaped how I saw friendship.
I didn’t hate my childhood. I just didn’t understand what it meant to belong. I never had a best friend necklace. I never shared cupcakes at school on my birthday. I didn’t know what it felt like to be chosen. So much of girlhood passed me by, that I found it for myself.
It wasn’t until sixth grade that I met my first absolute best friend. From that point on, something shifted. I started building bonds that were soft, strong and sacred. And over time, I realized how much of girlhood I cherished. I craved that emotional closeness, that safe space where you could cry over life and laugh until your stomach hurts.
Some people say that “girls are too much.” They don’t realize that friendship between women requires depth. It takes vulnerability, honesty and loyalty. It’s not always easy; misunderstandings, hard conversations and growing pains exist. But, the beauty of girlhood is that it grows with you.
When I got to college, I felt completely unprepared for adulthood. I was overwhelmed, scared and unsure of my future. But my girlfriends were there, every step of the way. The late-night check-ins, the “just thinking about you” texts, the reminders that I wasn’t alone. They carried me through the noise in my head.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: be the friend you want. Show up. Be soft. Say the things that matter because girlhood isn’t just a sleepover and shared Spotify playlist. It’s choosing each other, again and again, through every version of yourself.