Day 15: Female friendship matters as we age.

Female friendship has been the bedrock of women's lives for as long as there have been women.

— Rebecca Traister

I’m on a week long trip with a good friend. Our friendship has spanned decades although I am not sure how long we’ve been friends. We met on a road trip. I was working for a non-profit and she was on the Board. We went to a training event together and bonded on the 4+ hour drive home.

I never put that together until right now. Over the years we have done countless road trips together. Our friendship has solidified and deepened over car snacks and playlists. We’ve gone to conferences, cottages and camping. We’ve taught together in Cambodia and Colombia. She has seen me at my best and my worst. And she will go to her grave with the details of the worst.

Yesterday, we drove for 15 hours, stopping only to refuel our bodies or the vehicle. We discussed all the things that make up our lives. Aging, spirituality, family, work, health and more. You would think we would run out of things to talk about but we didn’t. Life continues to provide us with content to process together.

I’m convinced that good friendships can make all the difference in how we navigate our senior years. I am thinking a lot about bringing women together. I’m wondering how I can support women through creating community. I imagine circles of women sharing their stories and finding support and perspective.

This week, I am at the same location where I held my first Awakening The Sage Within retreat. I’ll be meeting with a few of the women who attended. I know we will sit and talk about the things that are shaping our lives. For me those conversations always circle back to spirituality and aging.

I already know it was worth driving 15 hours.