Text Me When You Get Home: The Evolution and Triumph of Modern Female Friendship

by Kayleen Schaefer

I look to my friends for the kind of support that comes from wanting only to be good to each other. The women I love are like a life raft I didn’t know I was looking for before I got on it. But my friendships are not just about being nice. My people push me to do better. They listen, but not in a quiet, passive way. They’re always on point for correcting me when I put myself down or fall into the trap of thinking things are my fault when they aren’t. My friends are brilliant, funny, fearless, wise, and generous. We champion each other in e-mails, in texts, in congratulatory flowers, or simply by saying how much we trust each other. It feels like I’m part of a team, even if some of the women on it don’t know each other. When I’m with my friends, no matter if we’re gossiping or analyzing something serious, we’re always tripping over each other trying to express how much we empathize with what the other person is saying. No matter if I’m hanging out with one friend or five, we tend to be so hyped to be in the same place, it feels like we’re vibrating a little.