Where My Girls At?!

I grew up in a small town where everybody knew everybody. Growing up so closely with my peers ultimately lead to bonds that were unbreakable. Those peers eventually evolved into friends. Of course my friends and I went through some rough patches. We always found our way back to each other, or at the very least, we rose to the occasion if one or the other were in need. Over time, life happened to a lot of us. We grew up and encountered situations that either brought us close together or drove us apart. I am pleased to say that my hometown friends are still my friends twenty plus years later.

I met girls in college. When I joined my former church home, I met girls there. On every job that I have ever worked, I met girls and stayed in touch with at least one person after I left whatever place of employment it was at that time. My friends often joke and tease me about being a magnet. They say I am the only person they know who has a "thousand" friends. To be honest with you, I don't really know why this happens. I don't set out to make friends with people on purpose. I am polite and engaging and can hold a conversation with almost anybody. However, I am not sure if those are the reasons that I have so many friends. I am just as baffled by it as my friends are. 

Why am I telling you all of this? Why am I giving you a run-down of my friend history? It is because of my experience with my "newer" friends. In the last three or four years, I have met women who have little or no friends. They don't trust other females and/or have been betrayed by more than one friend over the years. This has caused them to put up a wall. They are guarded and are uncomfortable with developing friends with any other female. Well, how did they end up being friends with me, you ask? Like I said, "I am polite and engaging and can hold a conversation with almost anybody":-) 

These girls, my "newer" friends, are some extraordinary women. They are trustworthy. They are kind and will go out of their way to help me. They are not messy or envious. They are God-fearing, lovable women. I cannot understand why they don't have as many friends as I have. I found myself desiring for my "newer" friends to experience the same love and devotion from other females as I have experienced all of my life.

You know what the world says about women. They say we are catty, jealous-hearted, messy, competitive, and many other things that are not so nice. Tonight, on this blog, I am declaring that to be a lie! I am none of those things. My friends are none of those things. And, there are countless of other women who are none of those things. 

Don't be fooled, ladies. You are not alone. If you desire healthy, God-inspired friendships, there is hope. I know that I am not the only young woman who can testify that there are women with integrity that are worth being friends with. My "newer" friends are discovering that day by day. I have shown myself friendly to them and even introduced them to other women just like them. Their friendships with each other are getting stronger with each passing day. 

I thank God that He allowed me to meet, know, and befriend some of the best friends a girl can ever have. I used to find it annoying that I always met someone and became attached. Now I embrace it and relish in it simply because I've found how rare a good friend is. 

My name is Danielle Martin and I have fifteen really good friends. I thank God for them daily. My life is richer for having known them and loved them. These girls, with their non catty, non jealous-hearted, non messy, non competitive selves are a gift from God.

Let's shatter the lies now! Leave a comment and say something nice and wonderful about those girlfriends who had your back when times got rough. Let the world know (or at least the people that follow this blog) that they are wrong about us. We are trustworthy and honest and supportive and loving. Where my girls at?!

Until next time, Pretty Girls... xoxo

P.S. Below are my closest, most dearest friends. I absolutely love each and every one of them. I would do almost anything within the confines of the law for them :-) LOL!!