Friendship

After graduating college and getting married one month later, I really struggled with making and maintaining friendships. I’m finding that being an adult and experiencing difficulty/disappointments in friendship isn’t a coincidence—though it did leave me bitter in the beginning. Here are a few things I’ve learned that have kept me from bitterness and unrealistic expectations in this new territory of developing adult friendships. Perspective changes everything! 1. For me, realizing the difference in the sociocultural climate of Colorado (where I live now) and Florida (where I grew up) was very helpful. After college and as a happy newlywed, I invited women I knew from college, work, or church to coffee or lunch. The typical outcome? I was canceled on… a lot. I’m not […]

It can be really hard for moms of small children to not feel isolated. The difficulties of getting out the door with babies and toddlers in tow often makes moms just hunker down inside. Even there, finding time for phone conversations can be daunting. Here are a few tips of how to build friendships in this season of life: • Learn the art of short phone conversations. Plan them for times when you know you’ll actually have 10 or 15 minutes to yourself. • Invite other women into your home without expectations. That means you don’t expect yourself to be the perfect hostess! Other moms won’t be bothered by toys on the floor or a breast pump on the coffee table. Keep