International Day of Friendship

By CLARE SULTMANN

Today is International Day of Friendship. Great idea I thought, but what does that really mean? So I went to Dr Google and here's what he/she came up with.

The International Day of Friendship began in 2011 as an effort by the United Nations to promote friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals. It is observed on July 30. For children in poverty, the day takes on special meaning, as friends can be a source of strength, support and social development.

What a great initiative. For me, what resonates most when I read the above paragraph is the last few words: ‘friends can be a source of strength, support and social development'. Indeed they can. Indeed they can.

For me, when I look back on my life thus far, most pivotal moments have been with friends. Whether they were in the good or bad times, friends have been around to share the joy and divide the grief. They are an instrumental part of life. Good friendships are a thing to celebrate and to cherish.

I've been in a position where my friendships have been tested. When the real thing, the real deal was at stake. When there was no room for flakiness. No room for fair weather friends. And my female friends were there for me every step of the way. My support team and my lifeline. I very quickly learned the true meaning of the quote: In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends' (John Churton Collins).

As Oprah so aptly said: "Everyone wants to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down."

Today, it is my hope that as women we take a moment to appreciate our friends. To catch up for that coffee, make that phone call or send that text. Being International Friendship Day, it's as good a day as any to remind ourselves that our friends are indeed a source of strength and support and will, if statistics are to be believed, and women do in fact live longer, be around for us a lot longer than the men in our lives. So here's to women and here's to our friendships.

Tag a friend to wish them Happy International Day of Friendship.

Clare Sultmann is a wife, mother of 3 and the founder of Dear Molly.
As a survivor of a catastrophic accident, former barrister at law, published author, and nationally accredited mediator Clare has returned to work in a different capacity. Relocating to Noosa shortly after the birth of her first child, Clare found it difficult to make meaningful and real connections with other like-minded women away from her own network of friends. With this in mind, Clare’s idea was born. Dear Molly aims to provide connections for like-minded women in a real, meaningful and positive manner. It a platform to share, communicate and inspire other women about their ‘real’ life.