I have been blessed in my life to have sincere friendships with quite a few people and the most endearing have been with my girlfriends. I still connect with my girls from Five Holy Martyrs grammar school, some from the old neighborhood in Brighton Park, some from Girl Scouts, some from Darien, most new friends have been clients who continue to share our journeys outside the massage room, and one when we lived in Delavan, Wisconsin on the weekends for about 6 years. That is my Janet. What a gal. She is the woman who takes things in stride, doesn't get her feathers ruffled and can do just about anything. No task is too big or too small. When we were renovating the home up north, Wayne would take the kids on the speedboat and since I feared that thing, I stayed back and worked on projects, one of which was stripping the wood floor in the upstairs bedroom. I was vehemently scraping that 100 year old wood and sweat was dripping all over and I look up and Janet is standing in front of me - and without a "hi what are you doing?" she just picks up another scraper and dives in to help me. Most people would hit the road but this was how we bonded. I reciprocated by arriving at her new home at 5am to paint her ceiling in 90 degree weather. It was a pleasure because I knew she appreciated it. And we laughed and beamed with pride when all was complete. Since she lived in the area year round she knew where to see the buffalo roaming and sites like Old World Wisconsin and where to get the best plants for our gardens. We spent many afternoons and nights just sitting in our front porch or outside watching the bonfire and just being together - I mean for hours on end, just enjoying each other's company, with no judgment or gossip or bitching - just sharing our energy like two peas in a pod. I never knew how to really relax until being with Janet. That's how it is with a true friend - no matter how long time passes and if we don't see each other for years, one phone call or one visit, and magically we reconnect as if no time ever passed - we just pick up where we left off. Women really need someone to listen and offer encouragement when we are lost about a situation. This gives us the boost we need to keep going. Just knowing someone out there understands can be enough to get us through our biggest challenges and all the small stuff that creates our burdens. Wait, hold on, gotta make a call... yep we're on - today we will take a road trip to see my buddy. They got hit with the first snow last night and she has to pull all her plants in and give some seeds to Steve for our garden. If you are blessed to have a friend like my Janet, Cindy, Helena, Robin, Carrie, Gina, Chele, Georgia, Mary, Linda (God rest her soul) take time to be with her. Let her know she is in your heart. Tell those you love that you do. xoSunday, October 11, 2009
girlfriends
I have been blessed in my life to have sincere friendships with quite a few people and the most endearing have been with my girlfriends. I still connect with my girls from Five Holy Martyrs grammar school, some from the old neighborhood in Brighton Park, some from Girl Scouts, some from Darien, most new friends have been clients who continue to share our journeys outside the massage room, and one when we lived in Delavan, Wisconsin on the weekends for about 6 years. That is my Janet. What a gal. She is the woman who takes things in stride, doesn't get her feathers ruffled and can do just about anything. No task is too big or too small. When we were renovating the home up north, Wayne would take the kids on the speedboat and since I feared that thing, I stayed back and worked on projects, one of which was stripping the wood floor in the upstairs bedroom. I was vehemently scraping that 100 year old wood and sweat was dripping all over and I look up and Janet is standing in front of me - and without a "hi what are you doing?" she just picks up another scraper and dives in to help me. Most people would hit the road but this was how we bonded. I reciprocated by arriving at her new home at 5am to paint her ceiling in 90 degree weather. It was a pleasure because I knew she appreciated it. And we laughed and beamed with pride when all was complete. Since she lived in the area year round she knew where to see the buffalo roaming and sites like Old World Wisconsin and where to get the best plants for our gardens. We spent many afternoons and nights just sitting in our front porch or outside watching the bonfire and just being together - I mean for hours on end, just enjoying each other's company, with no judgment or gossip or bitching - just sharing our energy like two peas in a pod. I never knew how to really relax until being with Janet. That's how it is with a true friend - no matter how long time passes and if we don't see each other for years, one phone call or one visit, and magically we reconnect as if no time ever passed - we just pick up where we left off. Women really need someone to listen and offer encouragement when we are lost about a situation. This gives us the boost we need to keep going. Just knowing someone out there understands can be enough to get us through our biggest challenges and all the small stuff that creates our burdens. Wait, hold on, gotta make a call... yep we're on - today we will take a road trip to see my buddy. They got hit with the first snow last night and she has to pull all her plants in and give some seeds to Steve for our garden. If you are blessed to have a friend like my Janet, Cindy, Helena, Robin, Carrie, Gina, Chele, Georgia, Mary, Linda (God rest her soul) take time to be with her. Let her know she is in your heart. Tell those you love that you do. xo
