It’s becoming quite a common story. As best friends, you thought you’d been through it all together. Suddenly life deals your best friend a devastating blow in the form of a job loss.
Months go by as you watch her go through her savings, emergency funds and finally, her retirement money. As much as you and the other girls wish you could ease her financial burden, sadly, that’s not possible. You’ve got your hands full with your own monthly obligations.
So what can you do?
After a lengthy lay off, even the smallest gesture can mean the world to a friend in need.
LISTEN:
Give the gift of being a willing ear and shoulder to cry on. Acknowledge her concerns while bolstering her confidence. Remind her of how strong she is and encourage her by letting her know what a good job you think she’s doing. Girlfriends can’t take the place of a mate, but they can take up some of the emotional slack.
CREATIVE GIFTING AND SHARING:
Sharing doesn’t always mean writing a check or giving cash you don’t have to spare. Little gestures can mean a great deal. It’s great to get your friends out for a good time but sometimes buying drinks may not be the best way to go. Why not grab a few of your mutual friends and buy a couple of bottles of wine. Have a few laughs and girlfriend time while enjoying one bottle together. Gift her with the other to enjoy at her leisure. It’s amazing how a bubble bath and a glass of wine can lift sagging spirits. Not having money to spare for frivolous things like wine or other little special items makes being out of work even harder to bear.
Between you and the other girls, make sure to help her keep up her spirits byhelping her to keep herself up. Alternate taking turns of treating her to a manicure and pedicure at the neighborhood spa. If you can’t afford to treat her to both, give her a choice. Nothing restores a girl’s confidence like feeling good about her appearance.
SHARE A BOOK:
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolley is an excellent book that teaches the way to experience life in the present moment. For a welcome diversion from thinking about bills and problems, share the juicy novel you recently enjoyed. You can also Google “how to share books on Kindle” to find a number of methods to share what’s already on your Kindle or iPad.
KEEP HER LAUGHING THROUGH THE PAIN:
Grab a DVD of your favorite stand up comic or funny movie. Go to a weekend matinee of a new hilarious movie you’ve been hearing about. Or, grab some of your favorite vintage romantic comedies, a bag of microwave popcorn and laugh, laugh, laugh! After all, laughter is one of the best stress busters in the world.
