All in Friendship

A Conversation With: Emelda De Coteau, Founder of Women Creatives Chat & Podcast 'Pray with Our Feet'

A Conversation With: Emelda De Coteau, Founder of Women Creatives Chat & Podcast 'Pray with Our Feet'

Dareise Jones
Inspiration, Friendship, Writing, Wellness

A few months ago, Emelda De Coteau, founder of the community Women Creatives Chat and the podcast Pray with Our Feet started a series called “Creating through COVID-19,” which includes live conversations with women creatives who talk about how to embody gratitude, cope with mental health challenges and how to be mindful about physical and mental wellness during the pandemic. As a member of this remarkable community of diverse women creatives, I can attest to the power it has had on me in supporting my goals as a creative while also providing a platform for us to share experiences, advice, encouragement and expertise to aid in each other’s growth.

4 Things I Realized While Watching 'Girlfriends' in My 30s

4 Things I Realized While Watching 'Girlfriends' in My 30s

Dareise Jones
Friendship, What I'm Watching

Girlfriends, one of my favorite sitcoms, debuted in the fall of 2000 and had eight seasons. I was starting my freshman year of college when the story of Joan, Toni, Lynn and Maya began. I would catch episodes now and then, but didn’t fully get into the show as a must-watch-every-week fan until about 2005. By that time, I was in my early-twenties and looked at many of the situations, relationships and the friendships between the ladies, through that lens.

I’ve been watching the show over the past few months on Netflix and found myself more interested in many of the storylines and experiences of the characters because I had now experienced a lot of them myself. Here are four things I realized while watching Girlfriends in my 30s.

Inspired by Insecure: Could you be Friends with Your Ex Man’s New Girlfriend?

Inspired by Insecure: Could you be Friends with Your Ex Man’s New Girlfriend?

Dareise Jones
Friendship

Once upon a time in my twenties, I was Condola, the new character Lawrence is dating on this season of Insecure. She is Lawrence’s love interest, unbeknownst to Issa, who has developed a business relationship and personal rapport with her. When Issa finds out they are dating, she decides to continue working with her. Molly advises against it, and although things are not the best between the besties, her thoughts do have some merit. I know this from experience.

Inspired by Insecure: An Expired Friendship is Not a Beef, but is it Expired?

Inspired by Insecure: An Expired Friendship is Not a Beef, but is it Expired?

Dareise Jones
Friendship

Although we’ve had to wait almost two years for Insecure to return for its fourth season, after three episodes, I think it was worth the wait. The first episode opens with Issa lying on the couch, cell phone up to her ear in a scarf and tee-shirt watching the fictional show Looking for Latoya.

As Rose Cranberry, the host, gives details about the last time the missing woman was seen, Issa says to the unknown caller, “Honestly, I don’t fuck with Molly anymore.” She sighs a little and the camera returns to the show as Cranberry asks, “What happened? Who’s responsible? Did anyone see this coming? Could anyone have stopped it?” (She also asks is Latoya missing or murdered, but that doesn’t fit with what I’m trying to do here, lol) I immediately connected these questions to Issa and Molly’s friendship and wondered how it all went wrong.

How did these two best friends, two peas in a pod, besties for life and down-for-each-other- through-whatever girls, come undone?