Your Emotional Buddy System

The other day I was having dinner with my husband, son and girlfriend Margie. My son Brandon was talking about the sleep over that his sister Carly had with her girlfriends the previous night.

Since Carly will soon be 18, Brandon was baffled as to why she had a sleepover. To him, a sleepover was for when you were young. So, I said, it’s a girls thing, you know so they can giggle, laugh, and talk about girl stuff. Immediately following that comment I said, when you are an adult, it’s called lunch. With that, Margie looks at me, agrees, we start to laugh and share a moment of understanding and knowing.

This got me thinking. What is a girlfriend? What is a friend? How do you define it? Then it came to me. Girlfriends or friends are our Emotional Buddy System. Buddies are two people who operate together so they can help each other through dangerous or difficult times. They essentially have our backs and create a safety net in case we are in need.

An Emotional Buddy System is a buddy that helps and supports us through difficult emotional times and shares in sorrows and our joy and happiness. They listen so we can be heard, offer a shoulder to cry on or vent, offer help when needed and boost us up when we are feeling down and depleted. They also rejoice with us when we feel on top of the world.

They know all of our deep dark secrets. Our buddy helps us fill up our emotional tank when it begins to go dry.

The importance of an Emotional Buddy System is immense. A strong emotional support system is crucial in maneuvering through emotional upheaval such as a divorce/separation, caregiving, death of a loved one, job loss, etc. The list is endless.

Many times when we are are experiencing emotional turbulance we begin to feel as if we are going it alone. Some of us will try to do it all, islolating ourselves from the support we desperately need.

By creating an Emotional Buddy System we refuel ourselves and our souls. We recharge, revitalize and regain our balance so we can move forward once again.

Think of yourself as a rechargeable battery. When a rechargeable battery gets low, it needs to be plugged into the electrical outlet. It needs to get juiced  up and gain back it’s power or it will be stop working. We are the same.

If we do not recharge our emotional batteries we will not be able to continue being effective in our lives. Emotional buddies help us reduce stress, worry and anxiety, as well as reduce high blood pressure. Emotional buddies strengthen our immune system and help us heal.

An Emotional Buddy System is a two-way street. Why? Because it is extremely important to give as it is to receive. Giving boosts are happiness, creates trust, understanding and a self worth.

How do you create an Emotional Buddy System? You don’t have to look that far. Friend, spouses or people who are experiencing the same thing are a great place to start. Evaluate the relationships and see if it works for you. You may discover that you already have an Emotional Buddy System and you did not even know it. And please remember a good Emotional Buddy will also be non-judgemental.

Who is your Emotional Buddy?