Make Room For Women In Every Season

The idea for this post started in May, on a girl’s trip, sitting around with 7 incredible women spanning nearly 4 decades. 

We were wine tasting. (always a good activity to get some laughs going 😜) Each of these women are someone I have worked with as a nurse and their ages spanned late 20s to early 60s. And boy, did we laugh. If you have ever sat around with a bunch of nurses, you know the kind of humor I’m talking about. Literally NOTHING is off limits. Nothing.

We chatted about life, the challenges we’re facing, the things we’re learning, and everything in between. We connected in that easy, soul-filling way that happens when women make space to really talk. And because of our age differences, it felt rich in a different kind of way.

We all brought our own life experience to the table. Different ages, different perspectives, different seasons, different stories. There was something so special about sitting around a table with women who have lived through different chapters, struggles, and joys. We have so much to learn from one another. 

It got me thinking about how important it is to intentionally cultivate friendships with women who aren't necessarily in the same stage of life as we are. I believe this is one of the unexpected gifts of working as a nurse. We work side by side with women who could be our mothers or our daughters, and we experience some of the most tender and vulnerable moments of people’s lives together. Over the years, those shared experiences have a way of creating relationships that cross generations.

The women who are older than us show us how beautiful, exciting, and freeing aging can be. They bring wisdom, perspective, stories, confidence, and so many laughs. Seriously, younger ladies, talk to the women who are older than you. They are FUNNY! And deep. And quite frankly, happier than most young women I know. They remind us that there is so much life ahead.

And our younger friends, they remind us to look at life through fresh eyes. They challenge us. They introduce us to new ideas, new experiences, and sometimes even convince us to step outside of our comfort zones. 

I turned 41 a couple of weeks ago, and I have to tell you, this is hands down my favorite era of my life so far. I’m in an interesting in-between season. I’m not the youngest woman at the table anymore, but I’m also not the oldest. I have felt a slight shift in my confidence. I’m blessed to have always felt pretty good in my own skin, but it feels deeper. Like I really know who I am. Then I talk to friends older than me and I can’t help but think that this “wiser” version of me will continue to grow while my little kid self will also be more free to express itself…does that make sense? I hope so. If not, just wait 🥰.

Ladies, the whole point of this post is to encourage you to foster your relationships. Don’t only seek out friendships with women who look like you, live like you, or are in exactly the same place in life as you. Make room for women who are ahead of you. Make room for women coming behind you. Make room for women who can teach you something; and women you might be able to encourage simply by sharing what you’ve learned along the way.

There is so much beauty in every season. As summer begins to wind down, I hope you’ll soak up the last bits of warmth and make time for the women who bring joy into your life. Sit on the patio a little longer. Say yes to the girls’ trip. Call the friend you haven’t seen in too long. Make room for the woman who is in a completely different “era” than you.

Because when we do, we begin to see something really beautiful: Every season has its own kind of magic.

If you stick to your age group, I PROMISE you are missing out. So, to re-cap…don’t be a basic B! 😘  Foster relationships with women of all ages. Your future self will thank you.