Celebrating friendships: support and belonging

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Sofia-Lilja Nwosu shares sanctuary with her friends

Many of us take the platonic love that we experience in our friendships for granted. It’s quite normal for young people to think of friends as simply a cure for boredom and temporary placeholders, until something more captivating comes along.

However, what we often don’t fully realise or understand is that engaging with our friends helps us grow. We are social beings; we flourish through meaningful connections with others. Healthy friendships teach us about ourselves and challenge us to be better.

Interestingly, our friends contribute more to our lives than just being good to hang out with. They significantly influence our physical and mental wellbeing. A report about social relationships and mortality reveals that having strong connections with others can cut the risk of premature death by half.

The friendships we choose can change the way we act, think and speak.

On my own, I often feel less connected to myself and my interests. However, spending time with my close friendship group is always liberating. My female friends provide a sanctuary where it’s easy to be my authentic self. I feel safe to disclose my thoughts and share my energy.

In my friendships, we respect and cherish each other’s uniqueness

I find myself effortlessly speaking about my passions as I get engaged in theirs. Being able to communicate like this has no doubt had a positive impact on my sense of self and the way I view different paths in life.

Usually, as human beings, we tend to distance ourselves from people with differing interests. However, I study humanity subjects for A-level while many of my friends are taking STEM subjects, and we find inspiration in our diverse academic pursuits. When my friends speak about their future dreams, which often contrast with mine, I realise that it’s actually the differences that bring us together.

It’s evident to me that genuine connections with others nurture personal development and provide a sense of belonging and support. In these friendships, we grow to respect, cherish and celebrate each other’s unique experiences and ideas.

You can check out more about female friendships in this UCLA study conducted by Laura Klein and Shelley Taylor who find that women are innately predisposed to befriend. We’re basically wired for friendship!