| When you were in high school, chances are you spent | | | | three, women tend to get caught up in the needs of |
| a lot of time with your friends. You probably talked on | | | | others and forget about the things that make them |
| the phone with them regularly, discussing everything | | | | unique. Friends give us the incentive to revisit the things |
| from that killer biology exam to your latest crush. | | | | we've been missing. |
| Maybe you went shopping together on the weekends, | | | | Connecting With Old Friends and Making New Ones |
| or went to the pool once a week in the summer. | | | | Old friends that you've lost touch with are great for |
| Now that high school is behind you, do you still spend | | | | helping you rediscover forgotten interests. You can |
| time with your female friends? If you do, that's | | | | also reminisce about good times you had in the "old |
| wonderful. But many of us stay so busy with our | | | | days" with them. So pick up the phone and give them |
| families and careers that maintaining friendships gets | | | | a call, or email them. If you don't have their current |
| pushed to the side. Maybe we've grown apart from | | | | contact information, their families or mutual friends |
| our old friends, or maybe we've moved far away and | | | | might be able to help. |
| not made any new ones. | | | | Making new friends is also good for you. Getting out |
| While our families can success at work are fulfilling, we | | | | and meeting new people can really boost your morale. |
| need the support of our peers. Why? Here are a few | | | | Some good places to make friends include playgroups |
| reasons: | | | | for the kids, church functions, and PTA meetings. |
| - Sometimes we need a shoulder to cry on. No matter | | | | Even those of us who can't seem to find the time to |
| how great things are with your family and job, no one's | | | | leave the house can connect with others, thanks to |
| life is perfect. When things go wrong, it's good for us | | | | the Internet. There are lots of online communities |
| to have someone to talk to about it. Our female | | | | where we can go to find women with similar interests. |
| friends can give us advice, or they can just lend a | | | | Finding a good group can provide us with peer support |
| sympathetic ear. | | | | that we can access at our convenience. |
| - Our family members and significant others do not | | | | In today's impersonal world, it's more important than |
| always share our interests. Having friends that we | | | | ever for women to stick together. Whether it's in |
| have interests in common with can give us the | | | | person or via email, connecting with other women can |
| opportunity to discuss them without their eyes glazing | | | | enrich our lives in many ways. So call up an old friend, |
| over. | | | | or make an effort to make some new ones. You'll be |
| - You can be yourself with your friends. As wives, | | | | glad you did. |
| mothers, careerwomen, or any combination of those | | | | |