It’s one of those industry secrets that’s not really a ‘secret’ at all. If you want people to click on an article, include a number in the title, preferably in the context of a ‘top 10.’ And if you really want to drive traffic, post a title that offers life-changing advice.
We’ll all seen them — ‘5 ways to reduce stress,’ or ‘19 things you must do every day before starting work,’ and most of us have clicked on at least a few of them out of sheer curiosity. After all, who wouldn’t want to know the top 4 phrases to avoid at a job interview?
For me, it was an article on the importance of female friendship. I’m a strong believer in girl power, so I had to find out if I indeed had the ‘5 Friends Every Woman Should Have.’ But after losing my Internet connection (thanks to Panera, which really enforces the 30-minute free WiFi rule during lunch hours), I had to search again for the article, only to find another that said I needed EIGHT types of female friends. Does that seem realistic, to have friends that can be placed into such specific buckets, such as the ‘cheerleader friend,’ ‘family friend,’ and ‘spiritual friend,’ as these articles suggest?
Seems a bit contrived, right?
But then I thought about my women of April. In one week during the month of April, I celebrate the birthdays of four women who have enriched my life in many different ways and continue to inspire me.
April 4 – my older sister Chris, my mom mentor. She and I have always had a close relationship, bonding over our mutual love of the beach, Jazzercise, and ’80s music. But when I became a parent, I started to turn to her for advice and encouragement, and she never lets me down. When I’m dealing with two crying kids while wiping ketchup off the walls, I know I can text her and she’ll say something to make me smile.
April 7 – my cousin Michele, my support system. There have been so many times she’s been there for me to offer support — and I don’t think I’ve ever had to ask. When I had minor surgery, she was the first to check in. When I learned how sick my brother had become, she came right over. Every time I’ve needed her, she’s been there — usually with brownies.
April 8 – my mother-in-law Amy, my guiding light. Although we lost her to cancer nearly eight years ago, I still hear her words in my head. Among many things, she taught me the value of getting out of my own little world. Whether it was going to Guatemala to assist with oral surgeries for underprivileged children, traveling to California to drive the Pacific Coast Highway, or going into New York with friends, she was always stepping out of her comfort zone to explore new places and meet new people.
April 11 – my baby sister, Annie. Know what it’s like when your company hires a kid fresh of out college who challenges the way you do things and forces you to see things in a new light? That’s my kid sister. She has a youthful energy and optimism that’s downright contagious. I love the perspective I get from someone born 18 years after me (even if she does tease me when I say things like ‘Instantgram,’ which I now realize is not the name of a well-known app).
Of course there are many other women who have been very positive influences in my life, including my Mom, my sister Meg, and my lifelong friend Mary Rose. But for this one week, I can’t help but think about how much better my life is because of four women who share birthdays in close proximity.
And while I appreciate the intent of the aforementioned articles to celebrate friendship, the people we’re lucky enough to have in our lives rarely fit into perfectly distinct categories. In the real world, attributes overlap from one person to the next, and what we’re left with isn’t always something that can neatly be packaged into a top-5 headline.
It’s something much better.
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