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The Healing Quality of Healthy Interpersonal Connections

By Gloria Ogunbadejo
Monday, August 20th, 2018
2 comments

Recently I was once again reminded of the strength of and need for relationships that hold up and survive the test of time. A good friend, sister and someone I can confidently say I consider my family rolled up into the UK a few weeks ago. We hadn’t seen or spoken to each other in several months although we kept in touch sporadically through text messages and e mail. I remember feeling so excited as I got ready to go and see her. My family were teasing me and asking why appeared to be so excited. I told them it was a familiar feeling and one that I just couldn’t explain but I understood. On my way to going to meet up with her tried to explore the question my family had asked and I came up with one or two answers such as I wanted to make sure she was alright as I hadn’t seen her in quite a while. However the real answers revealed themselves when she opened her door and I saw her. I had a rush of emotion, love and relief. This is someone who we share a history together, we have a special understanding and knowledge of each other. We have love, respect and trust for each other which have stood the test of time. My true feelings for her have never really wavered. That’s friendship, sisterhood and something to guard jealousy in these times of fakery, distrust, lies, deceit, and Machiavellian manoeuvrings.

We caught up on our stories, fell right back into the ease we always have with each other, and then we were joined by another friend/sister we both have known for many years. Then the real fun began, we hit the town and I had the best time ever in their company. We laughed, made fun of one another, and entertained those we met along the way. We also kept it real; we shared painful stories and built one another up. It wasn’t the quantity of time but the quality of it that was stellar and left me bussing for days after. When women come together and strip it all down, lay bare their hearts in love and trust, the universe feels it. We send something powerful out.

If there’s one thing ‘Sex and The City’ taught us, it’s that female friends make you a hell of a lot more powerful. When I think about stressful moments in my life, I often find myself texting or calling the women closest to me. There’s always a female friend I can share my concerns or problems with, because female friendships are far from the catty relationships that have often been exhibited in pop culture and media over the last few centuries. Albeit I have learnt over the years to be more discerning and selective in the female friends I chose to have in my inner circle.

Giving the patriarchal history of the world we live in that has and continues to work towards keeping women in their so called place and more recently working hard to keep them working against one another, its vital that women continue to work to know how to be friends/sisters. There is nothing more powerful in the world than the friendship between women. This is what saves our lives!

Now, that might seem like quite the hyperbolic statement, but given the patriarchal history of our planet, that has often worked to keep women in their place and apart, it certainly carries significant weight. The true benefits of friendship are immeasurable. Friends make our lives better and studies show that friendship has a much more significant impact on our physical and psychological well being than even family relationships.

Healthy Female friendships have the remarkable power to generate renewable sources of energy that can be transferred. Women’s friendships are a renewable source of power. They are vital and heart-opening, replenishing and nourishing us physically, mentally and emotionally. Women share a special bond; they bare their souls to each other, reveal their secrets and vulnerability as well as support, inspire and encourage one another.

Thank you and Bless you my special Sister/Friends. May our connections continue to grow…you know who you are!

Gloria Ogunbadejo writes a weekly column for Punch Newspaper. She is a Psychotherapist, a life coach, a holistic counsellor and an ordained Minister

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2 Responses

  1. Well said ma’am.
    There is a special effect true friendship gives that one can’t really explain.

  2. This is really true ma’am, true friendship brings the best out of us and help to nourish personal growth and development. We really should always make active effort to sustain such friendship

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