What makes a friendship meaningful?
Is it how long it lasts? How often we talk? Or could the gift of friendship be something else entirely—the experience of knowing another person and allowing ourselves to be known?
This Sound Bite was inspired by my recent conversation with my longtime friend Roz Sobel.
Roz and I met almost 50 years ago through work. Later, when I moved across the country to New York knowing only one person, that person was Roz.
And then life did what life does.
Our paths changed. Careers changed. Families grew. There were times when our lives were closely connected and times when they weren't.
And almost 50 years later, there we were—together again for a conversation on Girl, Take the Lead!
It got me thinking about the gift of friendship.
There's a certain knowing that comes from sharing a particular time in someone's life.
A childhood friend knew something about the child we once were. A work friend may understand a chapter of our career few others could. Friends we meet while raising children, experiencing loss or navigating a transition can become witnesses to versions of ourselves that no one we meet today can ever fully know.
There is love and care in that.
But I wonder if many of us also carry a belief that a really good friendship is supposed to last forever.
What if it doesn't?
Maybe some friendships aren't meant to accompany us through every chapter. Maybe their gift was the chapter we shared.
The love was still real. The care was still real. What we gave one another still mattered.
And sometimes we receive another wonderful gift:
Our paths cross again.
This reflection also connects to something somatic nurse coach Lisa Ketcham-Hendrickson shared with us recently: “This is always home.”
If we can learn to come home to ourselves, perhaps we don't need another person to stay forever in order to prove that our relationship mattered.
Maybe friendship isn't something we're supposed to collect.
Maybe it's something we're fortunate enough to experience—for a season, for decades, for a lifetime, or sometimes, more than once.
A Question to Consider
Who has known a part of you that no one else could quite know—and what gift from that friendship are you still carrying?
The Conversation That Inspired This Sound Bite
Ep. 317 — There’s So Much Life to Enjoy: Travel, Curiosity & Adventure with Roz Sobel
Watch: https://youtu.be/phAJXqPPjpc
More on Friendship
If you'd like to explore friendship further, check out:
Ep. 207 — Building Meaningful Friendships: Overcoming Loneliness and Finding Joy
Ep. 134 — Friendship Realities: Fizzles, Changes, and Coping Strategies
Ep. 131 — True to You: Embracing Authenticity in Friendships with NoorJehan
Coming Next
Broadway actress, bestselling author and success coach Leslie Becker joins us to explore bravery, limiting beliefs, transitions and creativity—including a question I've continued thinking about:
What if bravery isn't a personality trait—but a choice?
Connect with Girl, Take the Lead!
🎧 Listen wherever you enjoy podcasts
▶️ YouTube: @GirlTakeTheLead
🌐 Website: https://girltaketheleadpod.com
💬 Follow along on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook & Pinterest
If this reflection resonated with you, please follow the show, share it with someone who might appreciate it, and leave a rating or review. It helps more people discover Girl, Take the Lead!
#GirlTakeTheLead #Friendship #TheGiftOfFriendship #Connection #Relationships #PersonalGrowth