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Female friendship is essential for emotional well-being, development and community. Black female friendship is compelling 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, culture and identities as they pertain to society at large – particularly a society still struggling with racial tension.
There’s another layer of 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, some transitions can create shifts in your friend groups. These shifts include leaving college, getting married, and having children. 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, leaving you 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.
