This friendship day, team Cosmo India decided to show their best girls a little extra love

Here are the top results that showed up when I Google-d: ‘Why are female friendships…?’ . 

Female friendships have for long been stereotyped as complicated and short-lived. Women are too insecure and selfish, they say. Still, contrary to popular (read: misogynistic) opinion, I’ll let you in on a story that offers a different perspective. Two years ago, my best friend moved continents. I’ve missed her immensely since—our 8:00 a.m. breakfast dates went from real to virtual, and hugs were received and sent through emoticons, but other than that little changed. She’s my constant—the one who I know I can call at 3:00 a.m. to rant about life, no matter the time difference; the one whom I can cry to; the one for whom TMI has no meaning; and the one whom I want to tick off my bucket list with. She’s the forever kind of soulmate. And I know I’m not the only one—think of Oprah and Gayle, Selena and Taylor, even you and your girl tribe. 

Female friendships are solid pillars of support, empowerment, and love. They go beyond the superfluous rivalry that many perceive it to be. We understand and empathise with the hidden reasons behind tears, learn about the wide world of sex through midnight conversations, and want nothing but the best for them. This friendship day, we explore female friendships and its various nuances through confessions from our team. They’re filled with warmth, gratitude, and a whole lot of love, and we can only hope this make you smile wide. 

What does support actually mean and how have women been that pillar of support?

“The women in my life have been a support system in sometimes quiet and sometimes loudest possible ways! When they care enough about me to be pissed at anyone who does me wrong or to go out of their ways to make time for me, and to trust me with their emotions, they make me feel loved. That is support. We may not be available all the time for each other as adults who have jobs, relationships, and a heightened need for sleep. But when there is a situation that rates high on the girlfriend emergency meter, we drop everything to be there. The women in my life will call me out when I am wrong, they are there for the fun parts, the boring parts, and everything in between.”—Akanksha Narang, Senior Features Writer 

“In the past few years, some of my closest friends have moved away—to a different continent, to a different city—and some are closer home, but life keeps us busy and we meet less often. But they are there—to hear me vent, to encourage me, to cheer me up, to tell me how unbelievably stupid I am to risk my dream job or to not believe in myself, and to dance away our worries. My girls, have always been there. Support is being in different time zones and still being available at the first call. Support is also sipping away coffee together in absolute silence. Calling everyday at a fixed hour for a quick life update (of the past 24 hours) is also being supportive, and talking for two hours after two months is also support. I am sure almost everyone has at least one such person who is more than a friend; I am just glad I have five. My most treasured ones (I refuse to call them just 'friends').”—Tanvi Parekh, Copy Editor 

Describe an experience/incident that made you feel grateful for your girls?  

 
“One incident that really made me feel grateful and sort of fortifies what I’m saying is that one of my friends recently got married and this was a night before she was getting married. We finished the sangeet and it was really late, we were really tired and we got into our pyjamas. She said she wanted to drink. It was 2:00 a.m., we changed and sneaked up the alcohol to the roof and we were just sitting for hours, until people started looking for us. It was just the three of us and that was a reminder of how solid the friendship is.”—Stuti Agarwal, Features Editor 

How much of your sex education happened through female friendships?

“Chatting about sex and all that comes with it, is definitely a topic of conversations with the gals. Right from understanding the different bases to masturbating—these were all a result of conversations that would often end up in giggles. The level of comfort that comes with female friendships is unparalleled to any other opposite sex relationship I have had. Whether it is the dying urge to share gory details of a hook-up on the group chat minutes after it happened or being around each other to witness all our firsts, they have always had my back. It is a special kind of bond that allows you to embrace you, your body, your mistakes, and your men!”—Santya Ahuja, Editorial Intern 

“A lot of it, honestly, nothing is too out of reach when it comes to us. We share everything, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I think it is so easy to have these conversations because we are all growing up together and making the same mistakes. No one’s judging. My best friend loves to experiment with boys and is really out there, whereas I'm more reserved and a slow burner, so she experienced a lot before I did, and I got to hear about sex and boys for the first time through her, which was great! It's so easy because it’s a safe space and I have known these girls since what seems like forever.”—Thea Turner, Editorial Intern 

How have female friendships helped you overcome insecurities or made you stronger?

“As clichéd as it may sound, they've made me realise I'm not alone. Even if we're not insecure about the same things, everyone is insecure about something. My girlfriends have helped me overcome a few by being my biggest cheerleaders. They've taught me patience and that it’s okay not to be okay. They’ve made me stronger by always pushing me to move on and speak up.”—Laaya Lobo, Editorial Intern 

“Socialisation has never been my strong suit. Whenever I find myself surrounded by too many people, I tend to grow anxious. Throughout my journey of dealing with social anxiety, I have been blessed with a supportive group of friends by my side. Instead of letting me shy away from social situations, they encourage me to step out of my comfort zone and face my anxiety head-on. My friends have helped me grow, become stronger, and be the very best version of myself.”—Anubha Singh, Editorial Intern

Why are female friendships important to you? What is one thing that such friendships have that others simply do not?

“To me, my girlfriends are like family. I can be my goofy self around them without fearing being judged. They've held my hand through the worst days of my life and picked up the pieces, when I couldn't. We laugh, cry, fight, and stand up for each other. My girlfriends are my support system. And if that isn't family, I don't know what is.”—Mitali Shah, Features Writer 

“Female friendships have been life-affirming and fulfilling to me in a way no other relationship has been. They have been my support system, my greatest critics, and my only source of joy when things have seemed bleak; so much so that for years I’ve not craved or wanted to be in a romantic relationship because my platonic relationship with my female friends has given me all the love that I’d ever want. The one thing that female friendships have that other relationships simply do not have—for me, is reliability. I know that no matter what, if I’m going through something or am in a fix, my girlfriends will always be there for me, no matter what—ready to show up, be there with me, and come up with solutions when I can’t think straight.”—Sarah Khalkho, Features Writer 

Why do you think it's easier to share things with your girls than with anybody else? What makes the bond so close and intimate?  

"It’s because my girlfriends always empathise with me. They hear me out no matter how many times I vent to them about the same thing. They know what I need. I never feel feel like I’m going through something alone. We always know we can lean on each other. The female friendships you create can last you a lifetime and I think we all should surround ourselves with strong empowering women."—Taronish Batty, Consultant Junior Digital Writer

"I think it is the reliability, understanding, maturity, (sometimes even shared relationship trauma) that makes it so easy to share things with your girls. You don't have to explain anything to them. They just get it. They will scold you like a mother, they will always be there to solve your problems and they’ll be your biggest hype girls. Until a few years ago, I was the kind of a person who used to think that getting along with guys was so cool and that I could never do 'girly things.' But now that I have grown up I can't do anything without my girlfriends and I am so grateful that I have so many amazing girls in my life who makes my life a little less stressful." —Sanjana Ahire, Video Editor