It is an undeniable fact that in the 21st century, women’s identities are constantly being redefined and questioned. We are now seeing a type of woman who is no longer loyal to her friends, is encouraged to think like a man and various other behaviours that are culturally shocking.
To encourage the unwritten rules of womanhood and all things girly, we have compiled a list of unwritten girl codes that will help you remember that you are your sister’s keeper and perhaps make you a better friend:
1. Thou shall not date each other’s exes/crushes. If you date your friend’s ex, then it creates the impression that you wanted him all along and couldn’t wait for them to break up. Yes, we know they weren’t married, but he still swapped bodily fluids with your friend, and that alone should disgust you enough to want to stay away from him. The crush is her man in her mind and until she stops crushing on him, then he belongs to her and you should allow that.
2. Thou shall organise and/or always participate in a friend’s grieving process. That means you have to be in charge of the appropriate activities your friend is involved in after being dumped. You must drink that bottle of wine with her as she drowns her sorrows. You must also be available to provide the hot water bottle when she’s suffering from period pains because that’s what friends are for.
3. Thou shall place a friend above any man, despite the man’s looks. This rule can be subjective, depending on various situations such as the depth of your relationship with your man; but always remember that your friend is the one who will pick up the pieces of your heart when a guy shatters it into a million little pieces. Friends will always be there and have known you for longer than any man you’ve been with, so you better put that friend first even at the cost of a man.
4. Thou shall never allow your friend to leave the house a mess. We know that she has a mirror in her house, but people make mistakes and we all have a different perspective of fashion. When I spot a group of friends together and one of them has broken all the fashion rules while everyone else is banging hot, I will judge the well-dressed friend for allowing her friend to break the fashion rules. Be each other’s fashion police if you must, but never lie to your friend when it comes to looking good.
5. Thou shall always and forever be your friend’s gatekeeper. As a friend, it is your duty to police any negative and harmful things and people, and protect your dear friend. This means informing some of your friend’s admirers when they don’t stand a chance with her regardless of whether you lose popularity over it, taking the time to prove that certain potential admirers are destined to hurt her and protecting her from people who are out to humiliate her or hurt her feelings.
6. Thou shall remain brutally honest with your friend. Never lie to your friend about anything. Even if the truth hurts her feelings, you should always tell the truth because truth tastes better when it is dished out with love. It is better that your friend hear the truth about anything from you than a total stranger who might not even consider her feelings.
