What happens when you take two complete strangers and have them spend a few hours together? Does the time fly by, or is the evening strained and awkward? Family First matched up four pairs of women to discover how friendship buds and blossoms
D
o you ever read self-help articles extolling the importance of me-time and having a strong network of female friends and wonder, When? How?
If so, you’re very normal.
One casualty of the frenetic schedules many of us keep, and of a community culture that doesn’t put pursuing hobbies or attending cocktail parties on a pedestal, is that we have progressively less and less time to nurture the friendships outside of our closest family, neighborhood, and professional circles. Research indicates that developing deep friendships requires significant doses of time spent in proximity, shared experiences, and a setting that encourages vulnerability. (High school, anyone?)
But as women, we crave connection, and the thought of blocking off an hour or two to put aside thoughts of laundry and work and simply spend time with another person is tantalizing. Nearly everyone we spoke to wished she had more opportunities to do it.
To explore our ability to connect with new people, Family First matched up four pairs of women from a cross section of frum society. Each pair was carefully selected to be different enough to challenge each other, but with enough similarity that they could find common ground.
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