Girlfriends.
Remember when you were a young girl, 5th grade maybe, and your girlfriends became such an important part of your life? You would talk on the phone, pass notes to each other at school, share clothes, and spend as much of your free time together as possible?
I remember that time.
Slumber parties, singing and dancing together, shopping, watching MTV into the late night hours, hot summer days swimming and laughing....
Slumber parties, singing and dancing together, shopping, watching MTV into the late night hours, hot summer days swimming and laughing....
When I was in 5th grade Brenda Harris was my first real girlfriend. Then came middle school, high school and college and more girlfriends. Missy, Sharon, Chris, Michelle, Molly, Diane, Phyllis, Evelyn, and Carla...more good friends to share with and figure out who I was with.
Those girls were safe places for me to run to when times were tough at home and I desperately needed to escape. Like when I was struggling and hurting about my Mom's illness and my Dad's absence. They were friends who cared about me and cheered me on when something good happened, like winning the "oscar" for Best Lead Actress in my middle school class original movie. They were partners in crime as we left our high school basketball game and moved my Dad's police car off the parking lot it was conspicuously parked in, while he took a break to stop in to watch the game, to another back lot where he had to search to find it. We shared dreams, like wanting to grow up, become famous and marry members of Duran Duran or Jon Bon Jovi. And we dealt with hard times like splinters in the relationship or when we were both interested in the same boy and he was interested in one of us.
Those girls were safe places for me to run to when times were tough at home and I desperately needed to escape. Like when I was struggling and hurting about my Mom's illness and my Dad's absence. They were friends who cared about me and cheered me on when something good happened, like winning the "oscar" for Best Lead Actress in my middle school class original movie. They were partners in crime as we left our high school basketball game and moved my Dad's police car off the parking lot it was conspicuously parked in, while he took a break to stop in to watch the game, to another back lot where he had to search to find it. We shared dreams, like wanting to grow up, become famous and marry members of Duran Duran or Jon Bon Jovi. And we dealt with hard times like splinters in the relationship or when we were both interested in the same boy and he was interested in one of us.
We grew up together and we laughed, cried, argued and loved. We were there for each other and we invested the time.
Fast forward to adulthood and marriage and motherhood. I look at my life and to be honest the thing that lots of times gets squeezed out among the work, the home, the husband, the kids, the volunteer responsibilities, the church, and so on, is my girlfriends.
Not to say that they should take the place of husband and kids and some of those other things, or that I should have the same kind of time to give them that I did growing up. But, having that time to share with girlfriends is still an important need whether I realize it or not. A lot of times I don't realize how soul-nourishing it is until I've taken the time to stop by a friend's house for a cup of tea and end up walking out of there lighter because a burden I carried was shared. The words of a friend can be kind and cover over just where I'm hurting and stretched. Those words and that time spent can release peace into my mess and give me a fresh outlook, if I make it important enough to spend the time.
One of my goals is to spend more time with my girlfriends. Not just say it, but do it.
Today I'm taking that step. So, instead of just dropping off my friend's little girl after kindergarten today, I'm going to stay and linger and laugh and share some time that will nourish my soul and hopefully hers too.
How about you? Have you been depriving yourself of time spent with girlfriends?
You're not alone.
Chances are if you reach out to a friend, she's in need of your company too.
Stop by for a visit or pick up the phone...you'll be glad you did!
Not to say that they should take the place of husband and kids and some of those other things, or that I should have the same kind of time to give them that I did growing up. But, having that time to share with girlfriends is still an important need whether I realize it or not. A lot of times I don't realize how soul-nourishing it is until I've taken the time to stop by a friend's house for a cup of tea and end up walking out of there lighter because a burden I carried was shared. The words of a friend can be kind and cover over just where I'm hurting and stretched. Those words and that time spent can release peace into my mess and give me a fresh outlook, if I make it important enough to spend the time.
One of my goals is to spend more time with my girlfriends. Not just say it, but do it.
Today I'm taking that step. So, instead of just dropping off my friend's little girl after kindergarten today, I'm going to stay and linger and laugh and share some time that will nourish my soul and hopefully hers too.
How about you? Have you been depriving yourself of time spent with girlfriends?
You're not alone.
Chances are if you reach out to a friend, she's in need of your company too.
Really, deep down, we're all just girls wanting someone to get us...someone to know where we're coming from, or at least love us enough to try.
So go ahead, reach out.
Stop by for a visit or pick up the phone...you'll be glad you did!
The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. Proverbs 27:9
Have you missed a day in reading 31 Days of Seeking Peace in the Midst of the Mess ?
If you aren't following Loving This Life yet, I’d love to invite you to do so. Simply click here or go to the side bar and click on join this site. There are also options on the side bar to subscribe to receive posts in a reader or to sign up for email to have each post delivered to you right into your inbox.
There are over 700 bloggers taking the challenge, along with me, to write about one topic for 31 days.
0 comments:
Post a Comment