Have You Checked on Your Girlfriends Lately?

Hello Girlfriends!

Take the time today to call one or more of your girlfriends.  Pick up the phone to call or text her to say you love her and ask how she’s doing?  Yep! Today, I’m getting straight to the point.  This is a topic I know a lot about.  As a woman, that has moved around quite a bit with my family, I truly understand the rough patches friendships can endure when trying to keep up with each other and maintain communication.  Very rarely, do we as women get asked, how we are doing? Additionally, we don't always check in on each other like we should.  I’m not sure if it’s because there is an assumption that we are all dealing with the same hustle and bustle and are “making it happen”, which somehow translates to “oh she’s good”, or maybe it’s reading too much into what we see posted on social media that updates us on how “well” we think our girlfriends are doing. 

 Nevertheless, the twist and turns of life get in the way of consistent communication among friends.  Agreed!  Either way, what we think or how we think she is doing doesn’t matter, it’s realizing that there is work to be done and we as one half of the friendship need to do better. Right?  Call her and ask how she is doing! Let’s do better! Take accountability and do better!

There are strategies and tools to implement into your communication routine to send love and support to those special girlfriends when they’re on your mind and time seems to be working against you.

 I’d like to offer a few thoughtful and practical suggestions to jumpstart or revive communication with your girlfriend(s) and even loved ones:

1. Send a thoughtful prewritten Girlfriend Greeting Card or post card (coming real soon) from NaomiRuth Expressions *Get the SisterFriend Greeting Card package NOW(this week only) for 10 dollars off*

     2. Record a voice text or manual text and send it

3. Schedule a time to share a cup of tea or a glass of wine over a video chat to catch up

4. Take a moment once a month to write general check-in notes, sign a few greeting cards, and drop one of your choice in the mail on your way in to work or while running errands once or twice a month

5. Simply call your girlfriend. Dedicate ten minutes or so one night a week to check in with one of your girlfriends.  Perhaps arrange the schedule a week ahead with her so that the call isn’t interrupted and both of you are ready to chat.

I’ll tell you it took some time for me to figure out what worked for me to maintain effective and consistent communication with my friends, especially while living so far away, and in a different time zone.  When I use the term “effective”, I mean my efforts to connect are received and reciprocated. There is a genuine conversation, laughs and a well-check among girlfriends.  No one likes to feel like the friendship or relationship is one sided.  Quite honestly, it’s a crappy feeling.  With everyone having different schedules due to kids, personal life, work and other commitments, it’s easier for me to send a quick text to my girlfriends that I know have really challenging schedules and ask about a right time to call to catch up.  Sometimes, it even works out that they know I’m thinking about them and they beat me to it and call me first…haha. 

Bottom line, celebrate your girlfriends, establish and maintain effective communication with one another.  If you’re like me and moved away from your hometown/state, and are in a different time zone, try putting forth a little more effort and have patience with this process because it takes time to figure out what works for you and your girlfriends. Invest in the value of your friendships.

I hope these suggestions I’ve provided give you a boost of inspiration to reach out to a friend and try one or more of the ideas above when time isn’t on your side.

Peace and Love

Tanisha