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Female friendship is important for emotional well-being, development and community. Black female friendship is particularly powerful in the lives of Black women. As Seanna Leath Ph.D. explains in Psychology Today, through each other, Black women come to understand their history, their culture and their identities as they pertain to society at large – particularly a society still very much struggling with racial tension.
There’s another layer or friendship that’s important to explore, though. And that’s multi-generational friendships. Having friends who are older and younger than you can add richness to your life and several benefits to your personal growth. Here are reasons to have intergenerational friendships.
Combat Phase-Of-Life Loneliness
Throughout life, there are transitions that can create shifts in your friend groups. Leaving college, getting married and having children are all examples of these shifts. Having friends of different age groups during these transitions can help combat loneliness.
If you don’t have children, but most of your friends your age do, there will be a time when they mostly disappear. Parenting will be their top priority, and you’ll be left in the dust for a minute. Having older friends can be a big blessing then. If they had kids, those kids are already grown and out of the house, leaving those friends free to travel, go to concerts and grab happy-hour drinks with you.
