Dear Friends,
I'm still thinking about our May 13th event with award-winning producer and writer Rhaina Cohen. In a talk based on her book, The Other Significant Others, Cohen argued that we are conditioned to undervalue the way lifelong platonic friends can enrich and anchor us, and to overlook the potential roles they could play in our lives.
Why, she asks, does our society consider romantic coupledom to be the ultimate path to personal fulfillment? And why do so many of us automatically make a romantic partner the central and most important person in our life, relegating long-term, platonic friends to supporting cast?
The English language doesn't have a term for a platonic friend who knows us better than anyone else and without whom our life would feel much emptier. In the long-running show Grey's Anatomy, Cristina famously expressed her love for Meredith by declaring "You are my person." That line shows up everywhere now, from maid of honor speeches to birthday cards. It sums up a relationship that can be quite hard to describe.
Many of us have a "person"; a trusted friend with whom we can be our authentic selves without fear of being judged. Most of us crave a relationship like that. As our community of women moves into the future with the word "connection" in our name, I look forward to exploring new ways to welcome friends into our lives.
As we all know, an important friendship can be defined not only by its length, but also by its depth. And it's possible to have more than one "best friend". Each person adds value to our lives in a unique way. One friend may be someone we have known since kindergarten, while another is the soulmate we discovered when we were going through our divorces together.
It's never too late to cultivate lifelong friendships, and Women's Connection is a place where many of us will find them. Our chapter program committees are creating a constant stream of ways for us to connect with each other. When you see opportunities that match your interests, I hope you will take advantage of them.
Long-lasting friendships don't usually follow a plan; they just happen and then they grow and become stronger over time. They are about kindness, always. And a commitment to staying connected.
I am so grateful to belong to Women's Connection with you.
With affection and respect,
Darla Hastings
Executive Director