Wedding save-the-dates adorn your fridge, bridesmaid dresses fill your closet, the wedding registry department of the local housewares store knows you by name. It’s wedding season and you’re one step closer to becoming Katherine Heigl in 27 Dresses. This life season—where some of our closest girlfriends are getting ready to trade in their last name for that of their groom’s, is a season that many twenty-somethings find themselves, and we all probably have the dried bridal bouquets to prove it.

As the song by the Byrds, “Turn Turn Turn! (To Everything There is a Season) references, the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible speaks about this sentiment of life seasons: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under Heaven.” Seasons, they come and go, turn and change and the arrival of each one births not only opportunity, but also, a time for growth.

Perhaps like me, you have been lucky enough to witness some of your dearest friends find their misters, the men of which they’ll share forever. And you’ve supported them

throughout this exciting season of transition as they’ve traded in their singlehood to be a wife. But while you may have charmed many a groomsman at the myriad of weddings you’ve attended, you have yet to happen upon your own future groom.

Let’s face it, ladies, oftentimes the season of singleness gets a bad wrap. In a world filled with things like stylemepretty.com and Say Yes to the Dress, it’s difficult not to feel as though you’re ostracized for wearing the “single” label. While it may be easy to see the absence of a man as a detriment, a little change in perspective will have you viewing it as one of the best seasons of your life.

For one, being single allots you a lot of free time—time you are at liberty to spend however you see fit. And perhaps one of the best ways to fill your open schedule is with intentional moments with your girlfriends. If you’re like me, you have been blessed enough to form friendships with some pretty phenomenal women over the years. They may be childhood pals, old college sorority sisters, or maybe newly formed through social media (it’s not that weird to do these days). However these ladies came into your life is not important, rather the importance lies in the fact that over the course of your time together, they have become your support system, your perpetual laugh track, your shopping buddies, and closest confidants. So in order to not only maintain, but also cultivate these bonds, they must be habitually fed, poured into, and made a priority. This is where all of that extra free time can be utilized—without a man to monopolize your schedule, you have unlimited hours for your ladies, instead.

Oftentimes I can’t help but think that we allow our cravings for deep meaningful relationships equate to the need for a man, that only a romantic relationship is capable of fulfilling that void. But finding that sense of community isn’t reserved to the XY-chromosome. While the future mister will bring a new type of bond to the table, that bond will never replace the fulfillment found in sharing moments with your closest girls. Let’s be honest, ladies, guys are great, but there’s just something about giggling with your girlfriends over a rom com in your pajamas that really can’t be beat.

So instead of seeing your season of singleness as a burden, view it as an opportunity. Don’t view it in the terms of the negative—that it lacks a mister—but rather, in terms of the positive: it’s filled with sisters who will see you through this particular season, and the many to come after it, too.

Take the time in your singlehood to focus on growing the relationships you have with your girlfriends—book the ticket to visit your old roommate in Nashville, plan an adventure with your new “we met through social media” friend, tell your high school bestie whom you’ve recently reconnected with that you’d love to meet her for breakfast on Saturday morning. While these friendships are more than necessary to maintain once you find yourself within the confines of a romantic relationship again, you won’t have as ample of free time to cultivate them as you do now. Besides, with this special time spent fostering those friendships with your sisters, you’ll have a bevy of bridesmaids to support you when you finally find your mister.

Image via Modern Girls & Old Fashioned Men