My Female Friends

I keep really busy. I work full-time and am in school two nights a week. I go on dates sometimes, I spend a little (should spend much more) time studying. I go to the gym, I take care of all my chores (such as grocery shopping - yuck!). But what really fills my time outside of school and work is my female friends. Now, I'm not discounting my male friends here - they are great also. But I don't spend as large of amounts of time with them. My free nights end up being filled with communal dinners, movies, time spent shmoozing. We go to Shabbos meals together, we support each other through hard times. We send e-mails and IMs back and forth all day long. My female friends are my lifeline. I would be miserable without them. So I was a little shocked last night when an acquiantance told me she doesn't like doing things with other girls. She doesn't think it's fun. She would rather be with a guy. I had picked up this sentiment before, but she had never stated it so explicitly. It makes me understand a little more why she doesn't seem so happy. I don't know many other single women who don't enjoy doing things with other women. Heck, I know a lot of married women who really enjoy a night out with "the girls." But especially for someone single, I think it's so important to be able to have fun with your female friends, to not have to feel dependent on a guy to make you happy. All of us are looking for a spouse. We want to find love. That's completely normal. But I also think it's important, in the interim, to have fun and enjoy life, with or without a man. Because again, as much as I love my guy friends, and it feels so great to be in a relationship, there is still something so special about my female friends that I don't want to ever let go of them. They are my backbone and my support, and they keep me from being depressed and lonely. Maybe this acquiantance doesn't have the kinds of friends I do (it might have something to do with her attitude), but I treasure those moments of laughter (and sometimes tears) with my female friends so much. I can't even begin to imagine not enjoying their company.