9 qualities that make a good friend | The Grit and Grace Project

Ask Dr. Zoe – How to Avoid Gossip Among Friends

‘Minny Mama’ Asked: I have two friends in my mom group that are bickering/gossiping about each other to another friend in our group. I don’t like to get involved in gossip or other women’s drama. However, I feel that these women will each say I am not being a loyal friend. What do I do? I thought that high school had ended. Thanks! Dr. Zoe Answered: And sometimes high school continues…We have all gossiped at some time in our lives. I know I have! Some people make whole careers of it. But I’m just going to say it: Gossiping is a sign of immaturity and it should be a habit that a woman of grit and grace matures out of. Time alone does […]

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5 Ways to Make Adult Friends in the Lonely Age of Social Media

By Caroline Beidler / Relationships

As I scroll through my list of friend requests on social media, I usually ask myself the same questions: if my life was falling apart, could I call on this person? Would they drop everything and be over in a few minutes with a tasty meal or a listening ear or to watch my kids quick while I scream into a pillow? And the answer is almost always “no.” Today, I am “friends” with thousands of people, but I’ve never felt more alone. Why Is It So Easy to Make Friends as a Kid? When I was five years old and regularly wore a pink tutu or my beloved red cowgirl boots and pigtails, I met my soulmate. Her name was Crystal.

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If You Want to Keep Your Friendships from Fizzling Out – 260

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreLife is better with friends. There’s just something remarkably special about finding a person (or a few) out of billions in the world who can belly laugh with you over a meal or willingly be at your side in a time of grief. Friendships are mostly easy, but healthy ones still require some work! In this Smart Living with Grit and Grace podcast episode, Darlene Brock and Julie Bender dive into two important discussions on this topic: building strong friendships and navigating ones that are fizzling out. For the former, you’ll discover five ways to set your friendship up for success (hint: it takes selflessness and being

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9 Qualities You Need in a Good Friend

By Ashley Johnson / Relationships

A few years ago I drove upstate to visit my best friend from college because she just had her first baby. At the time, I couldn’t help but ponder the milestones we’ve shared: graduations, weddings, fur-babies, careers, buying and selling homes, and now…motherhood! Our friendship has felt pretty special from the start, so it got me thinking about what it is that makes our relationship so life-giving… 9 Qualities That Make a Good Friend: 1. Someone who helps carry your load, but doesn’t make you feel like a burden. 2. Someone who knows your worst, but only sees your best. 3. Someone who never makes you feel small, no matter how big they are. 4. Someone who doesn’t flaunt, especially when they

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5 Things I Know About True Friendship

By Shannon Barbosa / Relationships

What is a true friendship? I know, such a loaded question. Especially because as humans, we are constantly evolving, changing, growing, and morphing into newer, hopefully better, versions of ourselves. What I might have needed in a friendship in my 20s is profoundly different than what I need now as a 40-year-old woman. Some friends come and some friends go. Some friends are there for the mountaintops and others for the valley lows. Some friendships are seasonal, while others are lifelong. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned, both good and bad, through many types of friendship. Have a Safe Place, But Beware! I remember my younger days of chatting on the land line with a certain friend of mine. We were

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My Boyfriend Brings Me Flowers, Is That Enough?

By Darlene Brock / Relationships

Your boyfriend brings you flowers, treats you to dinner, and maybe even buys you a gift. Sweet things that indicate he could be the “rest of my life” partner but is that all you want? Or perhaps that’s what he did when you first started dating, but less so now. And the other things you might be looking for haven’t yet appeared. Maybe you’ve compromised on some things you thought were important. Or accepted some that you didn’t think you would accept. This happens to nearly every woman who is seeking that ever-after relationship. The concessions don’t happen quickly; they occur slowly, often without even realizing you’re giving up what you thought you had found. Settling for the opposite of what you

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10 Things That Make a Woman Beautiful

By Ashley Johnson / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

Here are 10 qualities that make a woman beautiful: 1. She can laugh at her silly mistakes, knowing it doesn’t diminish her dignity. 2. She gives the benefit of the doubt. 3. When she comes across something that reminds her of someone special, she buys it for them. Just because. Even if it’s just a candy bar. 4. She gets to know the people around her: baristas, security guards, receptionists, etc. Strangers become her friends. 5. She chooses to see the good in all people, knowing everyone is a work in progress. 6. She can let go. 7. She’s humble, but finds satisfaction in a job well done. 8. She’s strong, but she doesn’t use her strength to push other people around.

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how to leave your job with a good reputation

3 Ways to Leave Your Job With a Good Reputation

By Melissa Dyer / Life & Culture

After leaving my job two years ago, I recently learned that I’ve gone the entire time without burning any bridges. There is a touch of irony in how I came by this information. I live in South Florida, and there are a few ways we celebrate Christmas that are unique to our locale. One of those unique ways is our annual holiday parades—we decorate boats. Fortunately, for my family, we also live in close proximity to a bridge that serves as one of the many milestones on our local parade route. This exquisite little detail makes for a perfect family friendly holiday tradition. As a large excited mob, we annually crest to the top of this nearby bridge and view the decorated

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How Strong Women Can Have Healthy Friendships – 150

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreDo women really need friends? Do they need female friendships? What does it take to create a bond that flourishes? How do you know when a friendship should end because the harm outweighs the good, bringing hurt instead of joy? Can women have long-term friendships? Can they be “just friends” with men? These are just a few of the issues that co-hosts Darlene Brock and Julie Bender consider while unpacking how to deepen relationships with friends who are safe, those you can trust. Also, they’ll discuss how to cut off a bond that has turned toxic. It takes both grit and grace to have quality friendships, and

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After Losing My Husband To Suicide, One Good Man Restored Our Family

By Amanda-Lee Pitzer / Audio Articles, Relationships

(Listen to the audio version of this article here.) “I miss Daddy.” When I hear those words, I feel like someone took my heart and tossed it on the floor. Like a glass falling onto tile, my heart shatters into a million pieces. My big, brave 10-year-old, who has always been very mature for his age, turns back into a little boy that just wants his daddy back. I try so hard to hold the tears back as I watch his fall onto his cheeks. He has told me on more than one occasion that I’m not allowed to cry in front of him. It’s the night before a brand new school year, and my normally confident boy is a bundle of

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