Carried Away

With "Sex and the City 2" opening on Thursday, I wanted to focus on women and friendship. I love how the show and movie's touchstone is the friendship between these women. The new trailer for "Sex and the City 2" has Samantha saying: "We made a deal ages ago — men, babies, it doesn't matter, we're soul mates."

Girlfriends have always been a part of TV — Ethel and Lucy, Rhoda and Mary Tyler Moore, Monica and Rachel — but it took "Sex and the City" to elevate those friendships to the next level making them seemingly impenetrable to real-life issues including work, family, time, money or partners.

Becoming increasingly busy with organizing kids, careers, husbands, and the household, women have forgotten to nurture and organize the one thing that has remained constant in their lives — friends. I don't feel too bad about the complicated ways in which I am a daughter, a wife, a sister or mother. But as a friend? Well, that's an entirely dfferent matter...

Personally, my female friendships, many of which are long-standing and intimate, don't come close to the soul union shared by the SATC ladies. The truth is, I have some good old friends, and some good new ones too. But they certainly don't fit together like a dinette set: They are separated by interests, personalities and geography. I have never figured out a way to turn them all into an inspired motley crew à la "Sex and the City." If anything, this has only gotten harder as I live longer, have more experiences and meet more people. The truth is, despite the warnings of much of the chick lit and chick flicks, finding love and marriage turned out to be not so hard. Instead, it was the perfect girlfriend, or girlfriends, that has been so elusive.

As I have gotten older and wiser, I am realizing how invaluable my female friendships are. According to Dianne Ruth, PhD, female friendships can be extremely powerful.

“Friends eliminate isolation and loneliness. Having a friend is what keeps us sane, makes us laugh and allows us to be who we need to be. We empower each other and appreciate each other when no one else will. Sharing ourselves with another woman contributes to our emotional well being.”

If we've learned anything from "SATC," it's that hope is always around the corner and that a glass of wine (or new shoes) can ease almost any crisis. So, go out and celebrate your awesome connection with your female friends.