The Importance of Female Friendships

"I don't know what I would have done so many times in my life if I hadn't had my girlfriends. They have literally gotten me up out of bed, taken my clothes off, put me in the shower, dressed me, said, 'Hey, you can do this,' put my high heels on and pushed me out the door!" —Resse Witherspoon In Touch, April 2013

Birthday drinks outside of the St. Louis Arch.

With Valentine's Day coming up, I've somewhat ironically been thinking a lot about the importance of close female friendships. You see, as much as I love the romantic dates I've had with my man to celebrate, my truly favorite memories of the day are actually from the times I spent it with my closest girlfriends. 

My top three favorite V-day memories include the time I found roses outside at my dorm-room door from a girlfriend who had bought them the day before at a charity auction, cooking up a pink and red themed storm at a girlfriend's house
(menu included a rich penne pasta with vodka sauce, red wine, and frosted cookies), and last year when I gathered a group of girlfriends together for a "lingerie party" where we dressed in normal clothes but had everyone donate packages of underwear to bring to a homeless shelter. 

Me and a girlfriend at a Taylor Swift Concert during college

You see, some of the richest friendships and deepest loves I have are with my girlfriends. It's not just because of the fun times we share together, but because they have each proven time and time again that they are there to listen, to celebrate, to cry or to laugh with me whenever I need it. My girlfriends are some of my greatest supports, and I can't imagine my life without them. 

As it turns out, I'm not the only one who feels so strongly about my friends: An article from the Huffington Post cites a study on female friendships, which notes that: 

Women are "genetically hard-wired for friendship in large part due to the oxytocin released into their bloodstream, combined with the female reproductive hormones. When life becomes challenging, women seek out friendships with other women as a means of regulating stress levels. A common female stress response is to "tend and befriend."'

I don't know about all of that science-y stuff, but I do know that I fully intend to reach out to my closest girlfriends this Valentine's Day and let them know how much I love them and appreciate them each day. 

Last summer before kayaking down the Chicago river. 

Do you have any great VDay (or maybe even Galentine's Day) memories to share? Tweet me @Girls4Feminism or sound off in the comments!