A Beginning Circle of Friends

I am creating this blog to share women's stories as I hear them and as I experience them. I feel a circle of women in each of our lives is as important to the individual woman as church, marriage, career and family. Women, especially in their middle years, are less likely to judge and more likely to empathize with each other. Support from a circle of female friends can be a lifelong asset. I personlly have a circle of friends from my knitting group that I would do anything for and I believe, that in return, they would do anything for me. Our personalities are all varied. We are democrats, Republicans, Dutch, Swedish, American and Canadian.  Some of us talk too much, some of us don't say much at all, but we all belong, idiosyncracies and all. If you have a circle of female friends that lend you strength and companionship I would love to hear about them and how they enrich your life. If you do not have a circle of friends please let this blog be part of that for you.  I find the best way to find a circle of friends is to join groups that do the things that you like or are passionate about.  This could be a book club, a church study group, a knit group etc. The point is that people who have one strong commonality find a foundation to build friendships.  My mother started a ladies night movie night group and from that group she has friends that have been there for each other for over thirty years.  This social network is strong even though the personalities are all different.  They drive each other to doctors appointments, they have buried husbands and fought with their children but each and every woman is there for the other.  It is this particular social skill that keep women healthy and able to live longer.  This is not a new idea, women have been gathering together for thousands of years.  It is natural and necessary in order to impart knowledge, lend comfort, give advice, and to lead our own families.