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Monday, July 22, 2013

Celebrate Your Friends the Right Way This National Girlfriends Day

August 1st is National Girlfriends Day!  National Girlfriends Day is the celebration of friendships between women. It is a time to recognize all of the girlfriends that you have in your life. Positive relationships with friends and family are especially important to young adults living with pulmonary hypertension (PH). Good friends are there to help when you need it most; whether it is to help you run errands, raise awareness, be there for support or talk to you when you are feeling down.

National Girlfriends Day is a special day for women all around the country. It is a great time to reflect on your friendships and how much they mean to you. In honor National Girlfriends Day, let’s learn more about the importance of friendship and what having good girlfriends can do for you.

What are you celebrating?
Through celebrating your girlfriends this National Girlfriends Day, you are recognizing your appreciation for the women in your life and celebrating the benefits of these relationships. Having good girlfriends can benefit you in ways you may not even know about. The benefits of having good friends include:

  • Helping you live a healthier lifestyle - Friends can encourage each other to be active, eat healthier and overall live a healthier life style.
  • Increased happiness – Having good girlfriends can make you happier.
  • Better coping skills – Friends can help you cope with difficult situations.
  • Other possible health benefits
Learn more about the importance of good friendships online through the Mayo Clinic.

PH and Girlfriends
Colleen Brunetti expresses the importance of her girlfriends and some of the things they have done for her since being diagnosed with PH. Colleen says that her friends are always there to support her. From her best friend to people she knows from around the community, she has found that she can depend on her girlfriends when she needs it most.

According to Colleen,  “My girlfriends get me through - whether helping me to cope as a mom with a major illness, supporting fundraising efforts, listening to my fears, or cheering me on, I know I can count on them for a supportive shoulder, a listening ear, and sometimes a much needed laugh.

My best friend Rachel is the one I turn to when I not only need to talk, but when I need a kick. I told her right at diagnosis, "There will be plenty of people to hold my hand and let me cry about this. YOUR job is to tell me to buck up and move on if I get too self-indulgent and mopey."

My friend Jen and I knew each other from the dance studio where I work out but hadn't done much more than say hello in passing. When I held my Zumbathon fundraiser last year she TOTALLY stepped up to the plate and helped create these amazing t-shirts that were a huge hit. I now count her amongst my dearest friends.”


How to Celebrate Friendship This August
If you have girlfriends that mean a lot to you, make sure to honor them on this year’s National Girlfriends Day.  Here are a few ideas of what you can do this August 1st to celebrate your girlfriends:
  • Recognize your girlfriends through social media by posting pictures of you together, writing on their Facebook wall or giving your friend a shout out through a tweet on Twitter.
  • Send your girlfriends a small gift, like a friendship bracelet.
  • Write your friend a letter (or send an e-card).
  • Have a girls day doing your favorite thing.
  • Be a good friend all year long, not just today!
For more ideas, check out this list of 20 Healthy Ways to Celebrate your girlfriends this National Girlfriends Day! To learn more about girlfriends and friendship in general, check out Girlfriendology. This website focuses on helping women build and maintain positive relationships with each other.  It also encourages women to celebrate their friendships and voice their appreciation for the women in their lives year round.  This website provides lots of good information and tips that will help you continue to have successful relationships with your girlfriends. Enjoy celebrating your girlfriends and all the benefits of friendship on this year’s National Girlfriends Day!


By Laura Johns, Patient & Caregiver Services Intern 

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