Black women all over the country are celebrating the movie Girls Trip, a film about the importance of sisterhood and life lessons. Not to mention, a form of comedic relief in itself. Tiffany Haddish, is truly the breakout star in this film, giving you a countless number of laugh-out-loud moments. It has been a few good seasons since we’ve seen a conglomerate of black women come together to laugh, be free, love and support one another. We need more of this magic on the big screen and in the scenes of our day-to-day lives.
Developing healthy friendships with other women is valuable. Your sisterhood is your extended support system and a safe haven where you can be your care-free self in a judgment free zone. There aren’t too many circles where this sisterhood haven exists, so it shouldn't be taken for granted. Some women meet their “Flossy Pose” in college or in high school, but where ever and whenever you meet your tribe of women, be sure to be the sister you’d want to have.
In Girls Trip we witness a drift between girlfriends, something that happens far too often post college—friends relocate, life moves fast, careers blossom and families start to grow. Then, one day you realize you only know about your girlfriends' life events, because she’s posted photos on Facebook, but you haven’t sat down with her in years. You realize that you are slightly detached from the life of a friend who you once considered to be close to—you start to miss your friendship. Ryan, played by Regina Hall in Girls Trip realizes she needs to reconnect with her “Flossy Pose” when she sees the bond of two girlfriends in a dressing room. Sometimes, we just need to reconnect.
We miss friendships because they are essential. Your girls become a form of counsel to you and they fit well in your world. These women have grown with you and will grow with you. They’ve held you accountable and aren’t afraid to tell you the hard truth (no sugar coating around these parts). Friendships should be raw and friendships require honesty, communication and forgiveness—and sometimes we miss the mark. We’ve all experienced catty behavior and conflict in friendships and too many times have ended relationships right at conflict—never to be resolved or we choose to mask feelings in the midst of a “friendship” never fully receiving the full rewards true friendship has to offer. Unresolved conflict is detrimental to the sisterhood. We need to put our pride aside and talk to our girlfriends like we to talk to our men when there’s conflict.
In a world where stereotypes are given loosely to black women (and at times depicted on reality TV), it is refreshing to see characters genuinely rooting for each other and it's more refreshing to see that sisterly love up close, not only for the benefit of our well-being but as an example to society. Black women do support each other and black women do care about friendships. Girls Trip was a soft reminder to work on your relationships with your female friends because what true sisters provide to each other is priceless.
