Navigating through Friday rush hour traffic I was looking forward to meeting some girlfriends for happy hour at a local pub. As I walked through the door a blast of warm air and the din of raised voices greeted me. Threading my way through the closely packed tables, I spotted Kelly madly waving her arms (a dead give away she had been there for awhile) and as I sat down in my chair I thought, not for the first time, how lucky I was to have these girls in my life.
Growing up my family moved on average every three years. If I was fortunate the relocation would happen in the summer, but more often than not I would find myself walking in to a new school smack in the middle of a school year. Each time I anticipated with dread those first awkward days of not knowing any one. Being shy and not very sure of myself I'd wait for someone to take pity on the new kid and make the first overture. Slowly I'd build new friendships only to lose them when we once again moved on. I'm sure those experiences have a lot to do with why I cherish the friendships I have now.
I do have some women acquaintenances who don't seem to need the comraderie and support of other women and I wonder if they know what they are missing? For me getting together with girlfriends is like being one slice of a nice warm apple pie. I feel truly privileged to count so many strong, caring women as friends and if you are one of them and reading this I want you to know how much I value each and every one of you!
