A single soul dwelling in two bodies." ~ Aristotle
Many of the movies and books and TV shows that I truly treasure are focused on friendship. From Anne and Diana to Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte to Elinor and Marianne to the Ya-Yas to Bridget and Shaz and Jude to the movie I watched tonight--the Jane Austen Book Club, the focus on friendship between women is a central theme.
They say that women with strong female friendships are healthier and happier and that even their marriages benefit from it. Although I am really a homebody and not much of a social butterfly, I do agree that there's nothing more comforting than watching old movies while giggling with friends. I feel better and stronger after simply watching a movie that's heavy on the estrogen.
What is that line from Sex and the City about women being the only ones left in the end? The first time I watched Sex and the City, I was very into Mr. Big, and then Steve, and then Aidan, and then Harry, and, of course, Mr. Big again. I find that as I get older and rewatch the shows in syndication, I hold my breath for different moments--Carrie dedicating her book to Charlotte; Samantha giving up her hair appointment to give Miranda a break from the baby; the four women deciding to be each other's soul mates, and--to me, the most poignant of all the episodes--Carrie standing up with Miranda at her mother's funeral. These are the reasons I watch now.
The best part of each of these TV shows and movies and books is that the women recognize what they have--they meddle and they judge and they fight and they disapprove, but at the end of the day, they support and they cheer and they encourage and they stand alongside of and they show up, even if it's reluctantly.
George Santayana said it best when he said, "The loneliest woman in the world is a woman without a close woman friend."
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