Girls' Weekend

My dad recently sent me a hokey chain email that described how people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.  Hokey as it was, I'm still thinking about how true it is.  Meet the girls of my twenties.

Aren't we cute?  

Moving often (whether it's me or them) lends a hand to losing touch, and we sometimes do for a few months.  It ebbs and flows.  But Big Red there is the rock.  She's petite, but a force to be reckoned with.  The glue that holds us together!  Last month we all met up in St. Louis where our love affair began.  We traveled back in time over wine, Mexican, and shopping.  We were pretty fresh out of college back then, working for the same company, all newlyweds or engaged, and looking for fun.  Boy did we find it.  Margaritas pretty much weekly, relationship counseling, bachelorette parties, float trips, and "professional" development to boot.  And today we find fun in much the same ways, though it's not as frequent and happens often over the phone or on annual trips like this.  Still, cool.  

There were two more in the original group who I'm still in touch with, but the others aren't.  Scott always tells me I was the glue of the original group.  A different bunch of personalities who shared one common thing: a friendship with me.  I'm gonna take that as a compliment that says I'm relatable to all personalities?  Whatever.  Perhaps they were "reason" friends for each other, filling a need in their lives at that time.  For me, these girls started as "season" friends as they supported me (and I them) through the beginning of my grown up years.  But I love that we can reconnect any time and fall back into the swing of things.  In fact, I think that makes them "lifetime" friends.  We constantly are depending on each other for support.  We've grown alongside each other.  Instead of bitching about our bosses or fiances (at least not as often), we share experiences and dreams for the future:  buying homes, starting families, vacations, new jobs.  We cheer each other on through difficult times.  We call to share funny stories or experiences that remind us of our earlier days together.  It's so comforting it feels like snuggling in a warm blanket.  I love these girls.  And the greatest thing for me is that I have friends like this all over the country!  Some are there for a reason, some sustain the season, and a select few will be there for life.