When walking into a female dominated space, such as a locker room or ladies room, I can feel a particular energy in the atmosphere. There have been more times than I can count where I’ve walked in and seen girls in hysterics, with their eyes red and puffy. Not far from her side are her female confidantes—wiping her tears, combing through her hair, and holding her in a secure embrace. I find it difficult to hold back a smile when hearing their comforting and encouraging words, as if they were my friends as well. Films, music, and everyday life have emphasized the importance of female friends. Therefore, female friendships are arguably the most cherished relationship one can have: simply essential to life itself.

In my personal experiences within my female friendships, I have learned valuable insight on how to see situations from other perspectives by analyzing everyday mishaps in meaningful conversation. I struggle to think of a time where I felt judged by one of my female friends when expressing distress in the subtle and simple things. Unsurprisingly, women have been recognized across the board for their emotional intelligence and need for exploration, rather than acceptance of what is wrong. I once read a study surrounding the reasoning behind why women often turn to face one another and maintain eye contact while conversing, while men typically remain side by side. This minor detail entails the emotional connection that is so present in female friendships. 

Upon asking numerous Cherry Hill High School East students to describe their female friendships in a few adjectives, the following words came up regularly: “supportive,” “encouraging,” “sisterly,” and “accepting.” However, when males were asked to do the same with their homogeneous relationships, they struggled to find the words and showed clear discomfort. The words that came up were “comfortable” and “fun, I guess.” The male friendship is not unfortunate, but it lacks the enthusiasm that female friendships thrive off of. 

Diving further into the male friendship, an explanation for this apparent lack of connection could be the general “toughness” that males attempt to convey in order to “achieve” masculinity. Vulnerability is a necessary piece of healthy relationships, and without that, male homogeneous relationships have suffered. Adding on, the “comfort” described above represents a common theme seen within male friendships. As is readily noticeable, many boys tend to choose their friends as early as elementary school or middle school, sticking with them for a majority of their lives. Although this loyalty is respectable, they often do not account for the psychological changes that occur along the way. Males stay within these friendships because it is comfortable and easier than finding new friends, rather than staying because they truly love and admire their friends. While it is possible that some companions are suitable through all phases of life, it is uncommon.

Due to the emotional compatibility which is crucial in such vulnerable relationships,  female culture is much different. Feminine friendships can be compared to a life cycle, with new friendships beginning when another ends. Contrary to popular belief, this is not inherently a bad thing, but actually healthy. Weeding through those that are insufficient friends ensures a purity in those that are selected, guaranteeing a relationship that is worthwhile.

Ultimately, the culture of girlhood is far superior to other relationships and is as precious as diamonds.