Friends

When I told my friends I was getting married and asked those who were overseas to come home for the wedding, there was no moment's hesitation on their part to say "yes". When I told a couple of them if we could get together when I had a chance to visit the States, they were only too happy to oblige. So when Jen asked me to guest write on her blog, it didn't take me even a second to say "yes".

Good friends are not easy to find. You know, the ones who stay not only when things are well but also remain for the long haul. These are the kind of friends who we may not see everyday nor talk to regularly. We may even lose touch with them at some point for various reasons. But the bond remains as strong as the last conversation we had.

I'm lucky I have friends like these. None of us live in an airtight room where we have everything we need. Throughout our lives, we encounter many circumstances that are made easier, possible, or even better because of the friends beside us. The head of Psychiatry at Stanford University was quoted to have said that "one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman, whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends."

While this may sound funny, isn't it true that women connect more with their girlfriends than men do with their buddies? I think we form relationships with our girlfriends not only to sit and laugh and chat (and perhaps gossip a little?) but also to provide a source of support for each other in times of stress and difficult experiences. Men, I find, rarely share or express their feelings with their buddies. Sure, they get together for drinks or to play games but hardly for heart-to-heart talks. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think they're just not made that way.

I find that the connections we make with our girlfriends provide us with "quality time" that nourish our soul as well as energize our mind and body. Just the knowledge that there are others who know what it's like to be in our shoes creates a great sense of well-being.

Photo credit: www.art.com

Bonds between good friends last a lifetime, whatever part of the world we find ourselves in. What's half an hour of coffee to get out of the house and meet them? Trust me, it does wonders for the soul.

By Resident Writer from Writer's Space

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