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If you already dedicate a lot of attention, time, and energy to your female friendships, then you might think you don’t need to be reminded of how important they are. But even then, it can feel nice to hear your efforts supported and encouraged. As for women who are letting your female friendships fall by the wayside—what are you doing? Female friends are not just there to act as surrogate significant others until you find a romantic one, or until your career takes off. Female friendships aren’t just meant to be building blocks or crutches. They can be those things (and often need to be) but they should also be ongoing dynamics that you tend to throughout your life, and prioritize just as much as (if not more than) your work or romantic relationship. Here are 15 reasons maintaining female friendships throughout your life is so important.

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Your kids will move out

If you have kids, they’ll move out one day, and that will be a shocking change. You could find yourself with another 40 years on this earth, staring you in the face, and missing the community you found in your busy household. But friends can be that.

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You could get a divorce

There is nothing more terrifyingly sad than getting a divorce and realizing you’ve ostracized all of your female friends, so you’re alone in this. Honestly, you’ll need good female friends with whom you can discuss your marriage and determine if you should even get a divorce.

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They understand your position

If you want to tell yourself that men and women experience this life in the same way then you’re telling yourself a dangerous and useless lie. Women experience things that only women understand. Sometimes, you need to tell your story to a woman, who understands exactly how you felt at every turn of that story.