This is an Ode to my girlfriends… of sorts. I believe an ode is actually sort of like a poem or lyrics, but since I don’t write poetry and you definitely don’t want to hear me sing, I guess this could be more considered a dedication to my girlfriends.
Now that Christmas is over and my 6 year olds birthday has been celebrated and I actually have time to write again (finally!!) I wanted to start off by writing to my girlfriends. It’s been a while and I want to take time to acknowledge how much they all mean to me. I have been blessed with some really great friends who at this point of life, I would not be able to exist without. It’s not a huge group of ladies but the few that make up my most inner circle of friendship mean that absolute world to me and they all play such a crucial role in who I am as a person today.
Friendship has always been a very important part of life for me, and now that I am mom of three I have need these ladies more than ever before.
My girlfriends have become some of my very best mentors. They have guided me, and encouraged me during some of the bumpiest rides of life. They have reminded me of what is important and what is simply not. They are the first to tell me I am over thinking something and the last to tell me I am wrong for doing so. They know me well enough to know when to step in and help me walk through a rough patch, but they also know when to let go and make me do it on my own.
They have saved me hundreds (okay probably thousands) in counseling by just simply listening. I know I can shoot off a text at 10:37pm because I am upset and can’t sleep and sure enough, I’ll see the “text bubble” on my iPhone almost immediately pop up, because they are on the other side ready to talk and calm me down. They stop by with a bottle of wine and sit on the back deck for hours, even willing to talk to my husband too when things might seem off and they are concerned or just plain want to make sure everything’s going alright. They aren’t afraid to ask if I am okay, and aren’t afraid to take on the times I answer with “no I am not”.
They have filled my heart with such joy that they have made me laugh until I cry. They know my idiosyncrasies and are the first to make me laugh at myself for each and every one of them.
They have seen my dirty laundry (both literally and figuratively) and love me just the same. Many people have walked into my home throughout the years but only a very few have sat down with me amongst my laundry and had a heart to heart over piles of clothes.
Anyone who is close with me knows that my children are my world. But only my closest girlfriends have made my kids a huge part of their world as well. They know what stage of reading they are at. They know what they can and can’t eat. They hug them tight each time they see them and they never hesitate to dig deeper and get to know them better then they did before we walked through their door. When my kids see them they immediately feel comfortable and often favor them over me when they are here.
But most importantly they have shown my children what true friendship looks like. True friendship shows up when you’re sick with medicine and chicken noodle soup. True friendship is a listening ear and an understanding smile. True friendship is gently setting the other one straight, even if it’s not easy but is needed. It’s forgiving wholeheartedly without holding grudges. True friendship is knowing what each other are thinking without saying a word and yet still knowing it needs to be talked about. It’s supporting each other’s endeavors and reminding them why they started something in the first place. It’s knowing sometimes friendship unintentionally gets put on the back burner when life gets crazy, but being willing to pick up where you left off anyways. And sometimes it’s simply knowing you’re being looked out for from above and trusting you’ll see them again.
To my girlfriends who have stood the test of time, and by time I mean who have stood next to me during my very best days and my very worst. Thank you. I can only hope I have given you all that you have given me.
well written and a great dedication to your friends. I am thankful for the friends that I have as well.