Female Friendship Examiner

The healing power of love, support, and friendship

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:18:37 -0700

Studies suggest that one of the reasons my mom is recovering so beautifully from the injuries she sustained in a car accident is due to the strong network of loving friends and family that surrounds her. Loving relationships play an important role...

Friendship rituals and traditions: the best Thanksgiving dinner rolls ever!

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:15:01 -0700

Just like family rituals, friendship rituals give us our sense of belonging. We bond through rituals of sharing confidences, having long conversations, and engaging in activities and adventures. For many of us, over time, when our friendships become ...

I owe it all to my mother

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:32:51 -0700

This friendship thing—I owe it all to my mom. Mom is recovering from being involved in a car accident last week (#6!), and improving every day. She will most likely be moved from the hospital to a rehab facility later in the week, and then she'...

Ending a toxic friendship

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:22:33 -0700

Being in a toxic, unhealthy friendship could result in severe stress that could also require needing mental health therapy that is probably not covered by the proposed Obama health care plan. This is for the women who have emailed me in the past week...

Proof that if exercise is fun, you'll do it: The Fun Theory

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:45:45 -0700

Here's proof that if you make exercise fun, you will do it. Enjoy this great video! For more on the mental health benefits of combining friendship and fun, please see:

Healthy hiking happiness

Remember recess?

The gentle fade

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:23:57 -0700

Different situations warrant different ways to end a bad friendship. It can actually be easier to end a friendship with someone when an actual "crime" has been committed against you, such as a serious betrayal. But what if the reason for...

In too deep? How to escape a bad relationship

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:40:16 -0700

Does this relationship make you feel as if you're sinking in quicksand?This column is all about celebrating the joys of friendship. It’s about the ways in which friendship makes you healthier, and why we need our girlfriend time. As I said in ...

Can your self-centered friend change?

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:11:24 -0700

Remember the story of the scorpion and the frog? The scorpion needs a ride across the river and asks the frog to carry him. The frog is afraid of being stung, but the scorpion assures him that if he stung the frog, the frog would sink and the scorpi...

An open letter to the users and takers of this world

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:01:09 -0700

With awareness, a taker can change, and can balance out the friendship The truth hurts, but it makes us better. We often disregard it when it comes from our siblings since it comes off as nothing but bossy. But what if the truth comes from that frie...

Don't pretend to like oatmeal cookies

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:25:50 -0700

If you do like oatmeal cookies, try this simple recipe Previous columns have dealt with the major reason we have such a hard time saying no, and how to fix that. However, there are other reasons we allow ourselves to be used. Sometimes our user is s...

I just said NO and I don't feel guilty!

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:31:35 -0700

Say no without feeling guiltyDear People Pleaser,It's time you balanced your own needs with the needs of others. Stop taking on responsibilities that are not yours. I do understand that you can’t say no without feeling guilty. I used to be jus...

The reason we allow people to use us

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:46:13 -0700

Originally I had titled this, “The reason we allow friends to use us.” However, I changed the word friends to people, because the true definition of a friend is someone who you know well and regard with affection and trust, and is someone...

How to stop being a doormat

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:29:26 -0700

Stand up to the taker in your life! Has this ever happened to you? You receive a phone call from a friend, neighbor, or relative; the caller tells you that she’s having a party on Saturday night. Naturally you’re expecting her next words...

She only calls me when she needs something

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:06:21 -0700

The redesign team of two givers, Nan and Kathy. Bye bye clutter!We outgrow many things on the road of life and take many detours. Our boundaries change. You may have met your user/taker friend when you were still in your people-pleasing phase. Then ...

The Little Red Hen; givers and takers

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:22:27 -0700

Nobody would help The Little Red HenMany people know the story of The Little Red Hen. After the hen finds some seeds, her neighbors (other farm animals) tell her that the seeds can be planted to grow into wheat for baking bread. However when she ask...

Why a friend never says

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:23:44 -0700

Bring flowers to brighten up a dull hospital room Your hospitalized friend does not need the added burden of worrying about all her chores not getting done. Rather than ask how you can help, offer very specific ways in which you will help. Saying &q...

Tips for helping a friend recuperate; gift ideas, mood brighteners, and more

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:07:18 -0700

Pretty things have therapeutic propertiesWhen a friend is recuperating at home, but doesn't require skilled nursing, there are many things we, her friends, can do to help. These ideas may actually improve your friend's recovery experience!After some...

Helping a friend recuperate

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:23:51 -0700

There are many ways to help a friend recuperateNot long ago, I took care of my niece after her C-section. Her biggest worry was the laundry. It gave her such peace of mind to know that it was all caught up while she napped. It was then that I realiz...

The one friend you must have

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:50:34 -0700

The one friend each of us should have is the one with wisdom and insight, who can also step back, not take sides, and see an issue with no partiality. You need a level-headed friend who gives great advice.When you're in the middle of a dilemma, and ...

The Three Faces of Eve (1957) review; tonight on TCM

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:20:22 -0700

Joanne Woodward as Eve in The Three Faces of Eve on TCM"The Three Faces of Eve" is a fantastic movie about a psychiatrist working to help a woman integrate her split personalities. For many people outside the psychiatric world, this introd...