Family and Friendships

A woman recently asked if I address mother/daughter relationships in the book – I told her I don’t, yet the more I thought about it, I began to think about my mother and the importance of that relationship, as well as how it connects to female friendships.

As I’ve grown, my mother has turned into one of my best friends, which is a natural progression when children become adults; your parents become your friends.  Some of you may disagree – it all depends on the type of relationship you have with your mother.

 

I’ve been lucky in that my mother has provided me with a stable foundation for my own friendships.  She has taught me trust, respect and love – qualities that are also important in a friendship.  Through the good and bad, I have gone to my mother for guidance, and even when she says what I don’t want to hear, in the end, she’s usually right.  She’s my wise friend and someone with whom I can be myself and not feel judged.

Through my mother, I’ve been able to survive many female friendships that have ended without reason or talk through situations that I haven’t known how to handle.  It’s helped to have her in my corner; in a way, she’s my personal “friendship guru” – helping me to navigate the ups and downs of my own relationships.

Actually, looking back at many significant life events, my mother is the first person I call to share the news.  After talking with her, then I call my friends.  It’s interesting when I think about this relationship and how vital it is in my life.

 

Another special family relationship that I haven’t experienced is the power of the sister bond; I remember wishing I had a sister when I was younger - having two brothers didn’t exactly help when I wanted to play with my Barbie dolls.  When I see sisters who are close and seem to be best friends, it’s a special connection that only they share and understand.  It's a life-long friendship that continues to deepen; even through distance, I know sisters who talk daily and/or make it a priority to see each other.

Think about those closest in your life – is a parent or sibling one of them?  Who do you call when you want to share exciting news?  When you need to sort out a difficult decision?  If it’s not your mother or sister, maybe it’s your father or even your aunt, uncle, cousin…the list could go on and on.  We sometimes forget that these people are not just family, but also our greatest friends!