Why surrounding yourself with girl BFFs is the best
Welcome to Besties Week! We’re kicking off the release of our first HelloGiggles book, A Tale of Two Besties, with an epic celebration of friendship and stories about friendship. Read an excerpt of the book, buy a copy, catch us on our cross-country book tour, and share your photos from our events by tagging us @hellogiggles #ATaleofTwoBesties.
In the meantime, join the party right here. All week long, our contributors will be sharing stories, essays and odes to their very own partners-in-crime. Read, laugh, cry (because you’re laughing) and share with your bestie!
Every time I hear a girl say something like “I tend to get along better with guys” or “I just don’t have that many female friends” or some sentiment along those lines, I wince a little bit. Why? Confession: I used to be that girl.
I once preferred male friendships to female friendships. I was a self-proclaimed “more of a guy’s girl” girl. I still hung out with girls and valued their company, but I sought out male friendship because I perceived it to be more relaxed and less complicated. I was never totally satisfied. Something was missing, but I didn’t know what it was—until I allowed myself to experience firsthand just how valuable and meaningful girl BFFs could be.
Female friendships are deep and dimensional. Women share many similar life experiences, and can often relate to each other automatically. When you have a great female bestie, there’s a certain level of getting it, whether “it” is having a great hair day or crying at a tampon commercial. We’re wired the same way. Literally—we respond to stress differently than men do. According to one study, when women are stressed, their brains release chemicals “that cause [them] to make and maintain friendships with other women.” It’s science!
Female friendships are sacred and special. Don’t get me wrong—guy friends are great too! But there’s nothing like the friendships women can form. We speak the same language on many fronts. A great female friend will tell you the harsh truth about a poor outfit choice—and she’ll also tell you the harsh truth after a bad breakup.
As we get older, friendships sometimes become harder to form. We get stuck in routines and don’t find ourselves in situations where new friendships blossom naturally. So whenever you have the opportunity to add a fellow female to your friendship circle, do it! You can always use the company of one more rad girl bestie.
Of course, I mean no disservice to male friendships—I’m a big fan of Will & Grace, natch. But if you’re closing yourself off to female friendships, you’re missing out on making deep connections that could last a lifetime.
As for me, my guy friends are pretty great. But I wouldn’t trade my girl besties for the world.
