Holding On and Letting Go: Modern Friendship in Women’s Lives with Anna Goldfarb
On Health
Aviva Romm
4.8 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 12 March 2025
⏱️ 82 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What if friendships were just as vital to our health as sleep, nutrition, and exercise? Research suggests they might be. But in our fast-paced, modern world, nurturing deep and lasting friendships can feel overwhelming.
In this episode, I sit down with journalist and author Anna Goldfarb to explore the evolving landscape of friendship—why it can be so challenging to maintain meaningful connections as we move through different life phases, and what we can do to strengthen the relationships that nourish us the most.
Anna’s book, Modern Friendship: How to Nurture Our Most Valued Connections, gave me so many “aha” moments about why friendships shift, how we can show up for each other in a more intentional way, and how to release the guilt we sometimes feel when friendships change.
Join us as we unpack:
- How relationships have changed over time—why past generations had built-in social structures that kept friendships steady, and how today’s hyper-fluid, fast-paced world has reshaped the way we connect.
- How understanding the difference between “bathtub friends,” “swimming pool friends,” and “memorial friends” can ease the strain in relationships and help us let go of unrealistic expectations.
- Why some friendships fade over time (and why it’s not your fault!) and how to cope with changing relationships.
- The impact of social media on our lives and how having ‘friends’ online can leave us feeling more lonely than not.
- How we can keep connections alive through life changes—from motherhood to career shifts, big moves, and more.
- What to do when a connection feels out of sync—how to know whether to repair it or let it go.
If you’ve ever felt lonely, longed for deeper relationships, or struggled to navigate the shifting nature of connection as life evolves—this conversation is for you.
The way we connect in our modern lives is changing, but meaningful relationships are still the key to a healthy, fulfilling life. Have a listen to learn how to nourish the connections that truly matter.
Looking for supplements for yourself and your family, including some of those I talk about in episodes? You can find those - and your 15% discount on every order here: avivaromm.com/supplements
Mentioned in this episode:
Looking for supplements for yourself and your family, including some of those I talk about in episodes? You can find those - and your 15% discount on every order here: avivaromm.com/supplements
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | From the stuff your mother never told you to the stuff your doctor never learn, |
| 0:09.0 | on health is what happens when a midwife plus a Yale trained MD shares about all things |
| 0:14.3 | women's health. From periods to menopause, sex to reproductive health politics, motherhood |
| 0:19.7 | to mental health, join me for taboo-busting conversations |
| 0:23.1 | that demystify and destigmatize our bodies, all while bridging the gap between conventional |
| 0:28.4 | medicine and wellness. Along the way, we'll be exploring the science and wisdom of how our bodies |
| 0:33.5 | work, what makes us well, what gets in the way, and how we can live our best lives |
| 0:38.6 | on our terms. When it comes to women's health and well-being, there's nothing we won't talk about. |
| 0:44.0 | The new medicine for women is here. I'm Dr. Avivaram. Welcome to the podcast. |
| 0:57.4 | Okay, here we go. |
| 1:04.2 | I was recently interviewed by Gabrielle Espinoza on her podcast, Pleasure in the Pause. |
| 1:10.6 | And she asked me what I felt the most important thing for me moving through menopause has been. And my answer came swiftly and easily. |
| 1:13.5 | And I said, my female friendships. And it is like the truest thing I can say. My partner is great. |
| 1:19.9 | We've been together for 40 years. But there are just edges where he doesn't get it. And being aligned with other women who are going through |
| 1:30.1 | similar things in my phase of life has been just like a lifesaver. It's been so healthy and normalizing. |
| 1:37.5 | And when I think back on it, the same can be said for all the other big transitions in my life. |
| 1:42.6 | Puberty. It was my bestie who, you know, |
| 1:45.5 | I've known since sixth grade, who we went through menopause at the same time. Motherhood. |
| 1:50.2 | I had like my couple of motherhood best friends. And then even through midwifery and medical |
| 1:57.2 | training, lifelong friendships were forged through that. For so many women, our friendships |
| 2:03.3 | anchor us in ways that our partners, our children, and our families sometimes can't. In my experience, |
| 2:10.5 | female friendships hold the space for things only other women can truly understand, the invisible |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Aviva Romm, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Aviva Romm and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.