As women, we pride ourselves on taking care of others. We commit ourselves to our partners, our best friends, our colleagues, our extended families, our neighbors– the list goes on and on. We show love & respect by being there for them & following through on commitments. We work to understand the nuances of their days and react by cheering them up when things look down, celebrating when life is good or bolstering self esteem when fear starts taking over.
We listen, we care, we pay attention.
And this is a good thing. Having caring, committed relationships (as long as they are reciprocal) help us navigate our lives with support and meaning.