Ep 08: How Does Friendship Survive Menopause | Jen Cote and Margaret Honda

Menopause is a chemical castration that feels like it is wrecking your body and mind. So how do friendships survive it?Our original research says women need friends who make them feel safe, who remember the small things, and don't cancel. All of which isn't humanly possible during menopause. (Not for nothing, my former best friend and I were both in it when our friendship ended. I mean, could be something to that?)  On this episode of The Best Friend Project you will meet Jen Cote and Margaret Honda. Friends since middle school who wrote the hilariously witty The Hormonal Hangover Society book about menopause. We talk friendship, writing, melting and more.In this episode:Friendship gives, and menopause takes. How do we survive it?- Women shrinking. Why do we apologize for bold moves?- How Jen and Margaret have stayed friends for 40+ years through breakups, kids, and bad haircuts- Co-authoring with your best friend, and why humor was the only way through it- Jen's answer to the question “What happens when you can't be the glue anymore?”- And what's Reese Witherspoon have to do with all of this anyway?Connect with Jen and Marg: Instagram @hormonal_hangover , Facebook,  and LinkedInWebsiteTo learn more, visit The Best Friend Project.co . While you're there, discover your Friendship Archetype by taking the  Friendship Survey We'd also love to stay in touch—come say hello on Instagram  and Facebook (we will follow you back!)  If you need to reach us, you can always email us at [email protected]: 00:00 We don't have the energy to keep begging the group to get together 00:45 Welcome to The Best Friend Project 01:20 Meet Jen Cote and Margaret Honda 02:20 The Reese Witherspoon event, and the woman on a mission 04:35 "Edit your friends" and the letter I wrote about it 05:40 Cutting the line and handing it over 07:45 Why we apologize for our own baller moves 09:15 The book nobody thinks they want to read 11:00 Senile vaginitis and the naming problem 12:20 Our mothers never modeled this for us 14:15 The question at the heart of this episode 16:00 "I can't be the glue all the time" 16:45 Did menopause end my friendship? 19:30 Venting, commiserating, and hijacking the story 23:10 The naked haddock incident 24:05 How do you have nine best friends? 26:15 Roles, thick skin, and knowing each other's trigger points 28:20 Annie, and the sleepovers that keep her here 30:35 Unreal upcoming events and the annual gala 32:35 What co-writing a book did to their friendship 36:30 Grace for the friendship you did not get to fix 38:15 Put the check-in in your phone 39:45 Where to find The Hormonal Hangover Society 40:50 Next week: Donielle Young, the grief disruptorSupport the show