How Many of Us Have Them?
I've been blessed to have a solid group of "Soul Sistahs" that I have had the opportunity to grow (and glow) up with. We've got the embarrassing pictures to prove it and everything. We've had some great memories, like getting to travel to Europe in high school for our band & orchestra trip, and some not so good ones, like getting into petty Twitter arguments and attempting to ignore each other while we were sitting RIGHT ACROSS from one another at the lunchroom table, lol.
Since we've all graduated college, it's safe to say that we've all matured and changed in some way. To be honest, my favorite part of our friendship is being able to witness that growth and those changes. It's kind of fun to look back and laugh at how we used to think, dress, type (y3w @lr3ady kn0w) and act and then compare that to the women we are today.
Since I don't have sisters, I cherish my girlfriends like we came from the same womb. I know that I can confide in them, laugh with them, share my deepest secrets with them, and vice versa. I've learned so much about myself from them. They have taught me that just like with family, a friend's love should be unconditional. They've allowed me to open my mind to different perspectives and opinions, taught me about careers, life, love, and all that good stuff. And they're all still teaching me things to this day! Our bond is pretty tight. We're shutting down the idea that good girlfriends are hard to come by.
A few years back, if you were to ask me to name all of my closest friends, I would still be rambling off to this day. It took me a long time to decipher what the difference is between an associate, a friend and a true-blue bestie. Simply put: everybody ain't true and blue, okay? Just because you have a few conversations with someone doesn't mean they're a ride-or-die. Will they pick up the phone when you're in distress? Do they know your favorite color? What you're scared of? Will they tell your business to someone else because you made them mad? Do they know not to call you before noon because you're not a morning person? Haha. Seriously, though. We're all so guilty of throwing that "BFF" title around and giving it to people that really don't deserve it. Mama Badu said to pick your friends like you pick your fruit.
Just like my parents warned me, I lost a few friends along the way. Some of those "true blues" I once had became friends, and then slowly became associates. A few relationships ended sourly, while in other instances, it was more natural. Communication was lost, or we honestly just didn't have that much in common anymore. As we mature, we change. No matter which way we turn, change will be waiting for us at that corner saying, "Come on, girl. Let's go." It can be scary, but in reality, it's inevitable. I used to be the queen of saying "I would never (insert something outside of my comfort zone here)." Since I'm growing up, I know I can't keep putting negative seeds in my brain and putting limitations on myself. I realized that the way I've changed maybe didn't match up with some of the ways other people in my life were changing, so we drifted. And that's perfectly fine. There's no ill will between us or anything like that. It is what it is.
So I guess this is like a "Thank You" letter those that have stuck by me. I started to do a cute little collage of all of y'all, but you know who you are, lol. Thanks for laughing at my jokes, for being shady with me (haha), for participating in Ghetto Movie Night, for always having my back, for reassuring me that I'm not dying after I've spent hours on WebMD, and for loving me for me! I'm so proud of who we're all becoming.
(And thank you to my boo for taking these super cute pics of me.)
If you've got some awesome female friends in your life, cherish them! Having a genuine connection with a group of likeminded women is so amazing. I don't know what I'd do without my gal pals.
Outfit Details:
Shirt: Free People (link is to an alternative)
Skirt: Purchased from a local African clothing shop (link is to an alternative)
Shoes: Steve Madden (link is to an alternative) // Glasses: Warby Parker
Earrings: H&M (link is to an alternative)