We’ve all been included in a group text that we wish we weren’t. You become a prisoner to the constant dings and you can’t wait for it to end. On the flip side …
I’ve been in two separate group texts for years that I recommend you start, if you don’t already have them. The first group text is with my childhood BFFs. They’re all from my hometown and went to school with me. They were my bridesmaids, and, if you will, they’re my lifetime squad. You know the squad that you had way before Taylor Swift even had a squad? There’s a quote that goes something like this “We’ll always be friends, you know too much.” I’m talking about those friends. In this group text, we’ve shared throwback pictures, pregnancy announcements, career changes, inside jokes, moves, health updates, and pictures of our kids growing up way too fast. Most of all, we share a lot of memes about how much we miss one another.
The texts don’t happen every day, or even every week, but when they do, they’re good for the soul.
The other group text is with a completely different group of friends but is equally vital to my sanity. This group text is with adulthood gal pals. They’ve been my coworkers or in my social circle at one point or another. We understand each other’s day-to-day stressors and we know how to talk (or emoji) one another through it. If I’m texting with these girls, my husband always knows because I literally LOL at my phone. My friends are like really, really funny. We can relate to one another’s moments of hilarity or frustration that usually stem from being a mom or wife. I know they will drop everything when I need their immediate prayers or encouragement, and it has happened more times than I can count. Our texts are steady throughout the week because we have a lot to talk (aka vent, giggle, complain, etc.) about. We may not have decades of friendship, but we just get one another.
During graduate school, I did my thesis research on teacher burnout and stress. My research found that regardless of the amount of stress you have in your life, people with more social supports feel less stressed. It sounds like common sense but, I think we often underestimate the power of a good laugh with a girlfriend. These group texts are my modern day version of keeping up with social supports in a busy world where I can’t see my friends nearly enough.
