Beyond our biological, relational, or marital families, each of us is given the opportunity to establish a family of friends. My appreciation of friendship has deepened over the years; life with its twists and turns has taught me much about the intensity of friendship and its value. I, who started out fiercely independent and doggedly focused, have found myself at various points humbled by events and challenges beyond my control. Repeatedly, the outstretched hand that has raised me up is friendship.
Nina Totenberg, Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships.
We often think of "fight or flight" as the common response to stress. But many women also use a strategy that researchers call "tend and befriend." That is, they are likely to turn to a caring female friend to talk about a problem, which successfully lowers their cortisol levels--and as a result, their stress.
Reader's Digest
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