If you’re anything like me, friendships have taken a backseat now that a husband and kid are in the mix.
Since leaving college, I’ve come to realize that many are my closest female friends are out of town, and most of my friendships have been maintained via phone calls, texts and FaceTime.
There are times when I long to have good girlfriends nearby though. Normally I have so much going on that it’s not that big of a deal, but there are those days where I just want a few hours of good old face-to-face time with a girlfriend with whom I can laugh and who can understand my struggles of trying balance faith, family and fiction. Unfortunately, hopping on a plane is not always an option. That’s when it hits me I don’t have many local friends. Realizing I’ve gone slacking in that area of my life is scary. What’s even scarier is figuring out where to go to find them.
If you’re in the same boat, here are a few suggestions:
- Church. I’ve actually met most of my closest local friends at church. Fellowshipping each week and working together in ministry gives you the opportunity to get to know someone. It’s a blessing to know that person has the same values as you and can pray for you and offer you a Christian perspective when you need it.
- Work. Since most people spend the majority of their day at work, it’s a good place to find friends and to have someone to vent to when the boss or another coworker is working your nerves.
- Your child’s practices. There are always tons of parents at practice. While your daughter is mastering the balance beam, you can working on building friendships.
- Having a friend at the gym gives you the added benefit of having an accountability partner for those days when you really have zero desire to go.
- Social media. I can’t count the number of people with whom I’ve reconnected via Facebook. There’s nothing wrong with sending someone you admire or with whom you were friends in the past a message saying you’d like to meet up for coffee. I believe most women will be flattered. If they aren’t or if they think there’s a catch, is that really someone you’d want to be friends with anyway?
Where are some places you can find friends locally?
