I was listening to a radio program the other day interviewing a female author who had pretended to be a man in order to write a book about the differences between the sexes. She had some interesting observations, particularly when it came to friendships. She noted that the “guy” kind of relationship, the buddy in the bar or the bowling alley or the sports bar seems to be a very comfortable and easy model for many men. There is little distrust of one another and an easy bonding. For women, however, bonds tend to be formed, in her opinion, on a deeper, more long lasting basis. The biggest obstacle to female friendship seems to be the view that other women or girls are rivals. What does this say about our efforts to have strong, meaningful friendships with members of the same sex? What it says to me is that we should focus on what we have in common and still honor our differences. In other words, don’t expect your friends to be clones of you and don’t get mad when they’re different.. It is possible for two very different people to grow together in a supportive friendship. Women throughout history have been victims of a “divide and conquer” strategy. Women have been told that professional women are bad mothers. Women have been told that stay-at-home moms are lazy. Women have been told just about anything to keep them from realizing that all women have a lot more in common than they have that separates them from other women. Making good, strong friends as girls will lead to a healthier, more balanced view of the world as a woman. Honor your friends today.