ARE YOU TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR MIDLIFE FRIENDSHIPS?

WELCOME TO MIDLIFE MEMOS
THE SWAMP GODDESS® GUIDE TO MIDLIFE MAYHEM AND AGING ANGST
BLOG #94 by Wendy Kyman, Ph.D.
ARE YOU TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR MIDLIFE FRIENDSHIPS?

What kind of weird question is this?
Of course we all tell the truth about friendships.
Always.
Well ... maybe not.

Do you assume the question concerns telling the truth to your friends.
Actually, it concerns telling yourself the truth about your friends - Ohhhhh!

In other words ...
when you answer 'friendship questions,' such as those posed today and
in past Midlife Memo posts
~ do you state what you feel/think?
or
~ do you state what you assume you're expected to feel/think?

For example ...
One question from last week's post was: 'Do you want to fix what's broken (in friendships)?'
Before the double milestone, many of us would have said 'sure, of course.'
We probably would have meant it - er - maybe, sometimes.

Now ...
For various reasons, we don't want to fix friendships (or most anything).
But, we answer 'yes, we do.'
Why?

Because ...
- it is the right thing to say.
- it is the expected thing to say.
- we don't want to hurt our friends' feelings.
- yada, yada, yada.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
As we navigate menopausal mayhem and aging angst, we get more and more
adept at letting go of the expected response.
It's quite refreshing to express truth and say what we think and feel.

UNHOMEWORK
Pay attention to your reactions when expressing what you think and feel.
Rate your level of comfort when expressing your reality.

REMINDER
Do you want more detailed guidance, inspiration, and information to navigate the
murky waters of menopausal/midlife friendships?
You'll find practical knowledge, relatable anecdotes, and effective solutions.
www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com

NEXT WEEK'S TOPIC
'can midlife friendships survive when ... ?

HELPFUL HINTS
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NOTE
CONTACT INFORMATION
Email:          drwendykyman@gmail.com
Facebook:    www.facebook.com/drwendykyman
Twitter:        www.twitter.com/@drwendykyman

TO READ PREVIOUS POSTS
To the right, under BLOG ARCHIVES, click '2010' '2011' '2012.'
Keep scrolling to read any, or all, of the earlier Midlife Memos, especially
'The Birth of Swamp Goddess.' I bet you will relate.