You support one another during times of major change like marriage, divorce, and retirement; you comfort one another during times of loss; you help one another find the humor in growing older. Female friendships can be the key to happiness in older women, but they’re not often treated as such.
Impact on Physical Health
We hear a lot about a healthy diet, regular exercise, and romantic relationships, but female friendships in older age are often treated in society as just good fodder for comedy (see: Golden Girls, The).
Friendships aren’t just good for fun and games (although they’re terrific for those, too), they’re also vital to your physical and mental health – and your longevity. Human beings need relationships to survive. Infants can die if they go too long without being held, and the elderly experience an increased risk of mortality without social interactions. Isolation and loneliness are major factors in depression and negatively affect mental, physical, and cognitive health.
