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I walk into the Mexican restaurant and head straight for the bar in the back of the room.

I can hear their laughter as I zigzag through the tables of customers enjoying their dinner.

“Hey,” I say loudly as I reach my friends.

Smiles and screams erupt at the sight of me. My heart sores from the warm welcome I receive.

These ladies are the girlfriend tribe.

My girlfriends are f*cking amazing. They are roaring women whom I have met in my travels. They are women from college, women I have worked with, women from the gym, and women who introduced me to other friends as a Viking warrior queen.

It is within our humanness to belong to tribes, which have been around for centuries. These are groups of people who are linked by similar interests, goals, and a shared common vision. They will walk together to protect each other and make a solid community with every individual who belongs to them.

Now we have friends with different personalities, diverse goals, and the same vision: to love hard, succeed, and share our family with each other. To see each other happy, live with excellence, and be ready to remind each other to shine hard and not allow anyone to tell us otherwise.

 

Girlfriends accept everything that we are, even when we disagree, and that happens a lot. But our differences unite us. Friends become our chosen family.

When we get together with our girlfriends, it’s intoxicating. It is the power of the girlfriend tribe. It’s free therapy for our souls with these intelligent goddesses in our lives.

When we get together, we can talk for hours about every godforsaken thing that has happened to us. Our girlfriends will not only listen but they will offer detailed advice on how to handle the most challenging situations. Their love is pure. We can be our true selves without judgment.

We can be our worst self and they will love us anyway. They never judge us. Instead, they listen and accept us for who we are—the good and the bad. They might call us out on our sh*t, but they never make us feel bad for who we are. We don’t feel like we have to be anyone else except ourselves when we are with them.

With our crazy and wild friends, we don’t need to pretend. Being with them is a safe place. They love us.

When we feel our best, we want to be beside them. We want to laugh, dance, and talk about traveling to Paris in every season of the year.

When we feel our worst, we need to be beside them to cry in their arms and share why our heart is hurting, knowing they will always listen, provide us with wine, and, maybe with luck, some dark chocolate cake as well.

They’re our biggest support group.

It doesn’t matter how big or small of an accomplishment, our girlfriends are there to support us every step of the way. If we have a broken heart, they are there to mend the broken pieces with their love, care, and compassion. Sometimes with their tough love too.

When we fall in love, they are there to keep us grounded so we don’t lose sight of important things like self-love, staying true to ourselves, and respect. If we do fall for it and dive right into the abyss, they are there to extend their hand and pull us back up.

We give the same type of support in return. My girlfriend excitedly mentioned she had a date over the weekend. Inside, I felt giggly while wishing she had the best time. Why? Because I love her and anything that adds to her life and makes her smile makes me happy too.

From a distance, I smiled, feeling happy for her happiness.

Our girlfriends are our true soulmates.

I am madly, deeply, and crazy in love with these enchanting women. They are perfectly suited for us in every way. We connect on every level and we can feel their love deep within our souls.

I treasure those distant friendships as much as the ones I see daily. Even though we might live in different places, I am always thrilled to hear their voices and see their smiles. I know they have my back a thousand percent and they know I have theirs.

We are true cheerleaders for each other. We recognize each other’s lies immediately. A difference in my breathing alerts my girlfriends that I’m not telling them everything. I love knowing that there are people in the world who know us, who love us as we are, and who care to see us happy.

They are the ones we go to when we had a sh*tty day, when our husbands are being silly, when our jobs are exhausting, or, simply, when our family is driving us crazy. They calm us down and bring us peace and clarity.

They take care of us.

Friends show their love and care in so many different ways.

We know that whenever a storm passes through, whether it is through falling sick, a job loss, or the loss of a loved one, our friends are there to get us through it all.

When my sister went back to this universe, my friends all put together an envelope and supported me. I felt loved. Without saying a word, they hugged me and helped me remember I am not alone. That I have them, and I f*cking love them for it.

Every friend loves us in different ways. Some ask if we are eating well, and when we visit them, we end up leaving their house with food supplies for a week. Others will agree to watch our favorite movie for the 1,000th time.

Friends add to our lives, and we add to theirs. It is simple.

Friends are happy for our happiness.

They are the sunshine on a gloomy day.

They offer us their homes with open arms.

They are the light in the darkness.

They are ready to do crazy nonsense with us, just because.

They are the umbrella in a rainstorm.

They will cry with us when our heart is broken and curse the bastard who left us.

They are the fire on a cold winter night.

When we receive sad news, they don’t discourage a drink. Instead, they say, “How many glasses do we need?”

They are that sunset that makes us feel that everything will be okay.

There are a million reasons to love these remarkable women who each represent a part of us that adds to our lives.

These are some of the reasons why I love my girlfriends:

They don’t accept our excuses.

They are the best parts of us.

They push us to be our best.

They are our cheerleaders.

Our craziness is normal to them.

They are love.

They bring out the best in us.

Whether we exercise, share a meal with them, or stand on a hill overseeing the city shine at night, sharing life with friends is goddamn magical.

There is the one I write with, and we complete each other’s sentences. There is the one I go to the movies and get lost in another world with. And there are the ones I share my crazy salsa dancing in the living room on a Friday night.

There are friends who, despite years, distance, and changes, remain by our side to love us for who we were, for who we are now, and abso-f*cking-lutely for the person we will become.

They have the power to make us feel forever young. They are the strength that keeps us safe. They are the gold glue to fix our broken pieces. They are the missing part that completes us.

Girlfriends are the power that creates an oasis of serenity in the midst of our crazy lives.

To my girlfriend tribe: may we never grow apart.