Girlfriends

"What would we be without friends?  They're the mirrors we look into to find ourselves.  They accept the worst in us and bring out the best in us.  They add to our joys and diminish our sorrows.  They listen carefully to our words and understand our silences.  They give us the benefit of their wisdom and the gift of their humor.  They bring in the light when our world is dark.  What would we be without friends?"

Girlfriends are such an important part of a woman's life...and sometimes we get so wrapped up in our worlds of work/commuting/chores/workouts/cooking dinner/kids/husbands/dogs/life that we forget about them.  It's easy to say "I was busy, I'll call later" or "I can't do it this weekend" or whatever excuse we might come up with.  But it's really remarkable how when do you take the time, make the time, to spend a couple of hours either in person or on the phone with a girlfriend, how much more energized you are.  It makes you a better employee/mom/wife/daughter/friend.  

Last weekend, a group of girls here in the DC area decided that our week-night get togethers were too rushed and cut short because they were always right in the middle of the week - so we booked a Saturday night, brought the wine, a fun game called Things, lots of (healthy) snacks, and spent hours laughing, telling stories, and just being girlfriends.  This past Saturday, I made plans to go to lunch and do some shopping with another girlfriend who I haven't seen in weeks, since before the holidays.  We didn't do anything fancy, expensive (well, the shopping might have gotten kinda expensive!), or complicated - we just spent the afternoon together.  

I remember the saying "You don't go to college to find your husband, you go to find your bridesmaids" and I always have agreed with that statement.  I was lucky enough to find both during college (even though Husband didn't go to the same school).  My college girlfriends are so important to me, and we all have to work even harder to stay in each others lives.  My best friends from school are all over the world now - Florida, North and South Carolina, London, Dubai, Delaware, Richmond, Boston, and more...it takes flights, phone calls, gchat, video g-chat, cards, emails, and planning.  But it's so worth it when you run through the airport into their laughing, smiling hugs, get a birthday card in the mail, or find a couple of quiet hours for a phone call.

I have also been lucky to make some great friends since college, while living in DC, as well as reconnect with old friends from home.  It is so energizing and refreshing to hear about their stories, and know that we're all in this together - we are all going through very similar challenges and triumphs.  

How do you spend time with your girlfriends, are there some fun traditions you have?  How do you stay in touch with your friends who are all over the world, living their lives?

"Best friends are the siblings God forgot to give us."