As women, one of the most important relationships we can have is one with your girl friends! Creating friendships start for most of us at a very early age. Most people have met their first friend in preschool! From then, they shared their first secrets, took up for each other if someone tried to bully the other, and helped each other  out whenever it was needed. Basically, they had each other’s backs no matter what! I remember coming home from school and telling my mom all about my new friends! How nice they were, how cool their lunch bag was, etc. And as I got older and seen some of the hardships that my friends were dealing with, I always went to my mom asking her if we could help my friend out in any way. Now that I’m an adult, it seems as if the love and loyalty that goes into friendship is no longer valued. For many, the love and admiration that we had for our friends turned into envy. That support and eagerness to help our friend when they are down, turned into us using their downfall as our way to view ourselves to be “better than them.” And the secrets are no longer kept, instead secrets turns into gossip and are used as a tool for revenge if the two were to ever fallout or disagree. Women have turned against other women instead of loving and uplifting one another. We fight each other, we find pleasure in hurting one another, whether it’s directly done with an insult, or indirectly by sabotaging things that we value. We have the mentality that if we’re not on the same “level” as the next woman, that we’re behind them, and that mindset creates insecurities within us that ultimately makes us feel bitter or “not enough.” We’ve created so much hatred and envy among one another as a whole, that instead of asking the woman that may be in a place that we’re seeking to be for help, we instead suffer in our stagnation because our pride won’t allow us to ask for help. We’ve become so prideful in our marriages, in our parenting, in our careers, etc., that we’d rather “figure things out” and suffer through the hardships, instead of reaching out to other women who are successful in the area that we’re struggling in.  In spite of the negatives in womanhood, Women empowerment has become such a popular thing right now. But, unfortunately, many women still avoid joining groups or events led by women, because not everyone has a good experience, which can be very discouraging for women in true need of a sisterhood. Some women are using it as a way to “come up” and build a following, however, their hearts aren’t truly in it. Social media has allowed people to hide behind a screen and post as if they are perfect, “holier than thou,” empowering to others, etc,. So much that even the women that you’d least expect to be considering themselves as “empowering,” are hosting brunches and events aimed to empower others. But many aren’t doing it from a pure heart, only to be apart of a “trend” to be “inspirational.” Outside of their social media platform, their attitudes are trash and their spirits are nothing close to “empowering.” Although this isn’t the vast majority, it’s still important to be spiritually aware and use discernment when being led by others. This is why the bible teaches us to “Test the spirits” (1 John 4:1). My mother used to always tell me, “Veronica, everybody ain’t ya friend.” And it wasn’t until I got into my spiritual walk that I fully understood what she meant by that. But God gives us tools to be able to discern who means well and who doesn’t. The bible teaches us that you know a person by their FRUITS! (Matthew 7:16) It’s important to pay attention to the energy that a person gives off. It’s important to pay attention to the things and people that they engage with. It’s important to look at their spirits and not what they look like on the outside, but instead the fruits that they deliver from the inside.  Nevertheless, women hold some tremendous POWER! We have the ability to nurture, to heal, to love, to give birth, etc., so I have no doubt that we have the ability to put all of these characteristics back into friendships and bring back true sisterhood like never before! Some of the greatest moments of my life have been shared with my girl friends. And some of the worst ones. When I was struggling in my marriage, my close friends prayed us through, they gave me encouragement to keep fighting for my marriage, and reminded me of the good things that they knew about my husband, when all I could do was see the bad. When I went through depression during my pregnancy, it was my girl friends that made sure that I was okay. When I couldn’t get out of bed, they came to me. When I needed to get out of the house, they found pregnancy friendly events for me to enjoy. When I needed help after giving birth, they extended helping hands! They gave me hope and kept me motivated on the days that I felt like giving up on myself. They were true examples of exactly what friendship and sisterhood is about! Loving and supporting your friends through their worst, and best times! They kept me reminded that there’s a rainbow at the end of every storm. It gave me such great peace knowing that I had some sisters to have my back! THIS is why women empowerment is so important! We have the ability to do many things, but together, we have the POWER to overcome ALL THINGS! Empowered women empower women and have no problem fixing another Queens crown! Be good to your sisters, after all we’re all on the same team!