Monday, July 13, 2009

Because a therapist won't split dessert with you.

From the time we are little girls bopping around in our pig tails and our pink sparkly jelly shoes, we realize the importance of finding good girl friends.

Girl friends who will appreciate the beauty of 25 cent fake purple gemstone ring from a machine. Girl friends who will have tea parties and play barbies and watch Cinderella with you 87 times. Girl friends who vow to stay up until 4 a.m. at the sleepover and watch scary movies your parents would never allow you to watch, all while gorging on Cheetos, Twizzlers, and Mountain Dew and painting your toenails all the colors of the rainbow.

Those stupid boys were always too busy eating dirt and sticking firecrackers up frog's butts anyway. Who needed them?

I've had many girl friends who have come and go as I've grown up. But, once you get a little bit older, you really understand the substance of a true friendship.

You realize that when you've been friends since you were 5, and over 20 years have gone by, you'll always be friends.

You realize that when you live 10 minutes away and haven't seen each other face-to-face in 3 months and you can still pick up right where you left off as if a day hasn't gone by, you'll always be friends.

You realize that when you can talk about your struggles and your faults and your scariest thoughts and they look you in the eyes and say, "I know exactly what you mean," you'll always be friends.

At this time in my life, I've got lots of friends - guys, girls, people quite a bit older than me, some a bit younger than me. They all have something different to offer - Wisdom. Experience. Humor. Spontaneity. Brutal honesty - and they're all very important to me.

But...I can count on my hand the number of girl friends I have that I can go to with absolutely anything in the world without fear of judgment. And, even then - I'd have some left over fingers.

Recently, I've had the chance to have some quality girl time with two of my closest girl friends, on separate occasions. We set aside a special day, found a place for the kiddos to go, and enjoyed time together to catch up, to bitch, share new milestones our babies reached, talk about work, talk about our husbands, our stresses, our joys, and to just. be. REAL.

I don't know what I'd do without these girl friends.

We can talk about anything - things that would terrify other people if they knew. Our friendships have deepened with the shared experiences of motherhood, and we lean on each other like we cannot lean on anyone else.

I love these friends dearly, and I don't know where I'd be without them. Well, actually, I think I DO know where I'd be without them.

I'd be in several hours of therapy each week, but rare is the therapist who listens to you for free and splits dessert with you.



This post is a part of Tuesday's Tribute over at Angie's 7 Clown Circus.

11 comments:

Amy said...

It is so nice to have that one friend you can count on. I get to see my wonderful friend from high school at the end of the month. We are still great friends. Thanks for sharing.

Kelly said...

What a wonderful tribute to your friends. There is nothing like a great girlfiend!! I was the first out of my "close" friends to have a baby and I jokingly would tell them that if they didnt have kids soon, I was gonna have to find new friends! They got the hint!

Claremont First Ward said...

What a wonderful blessing in your life it must be to have such good friends. I really do cherish my real, tried and true friends.

Liz Mays said...

Don't let go of those girls! They're hard to find!

Candice said...

Great post!

I have about 3 or 4 girlfriends like that. A couple of them I've only met them within the last few years.

It's nice to have someone to relate to, and someone you know will never judge you.

Kristen said...

Sera, I love this post. My girl is on the other coast...but she'll be here in one week and I can't wait!

Dani said...

I absolutely ADORE this post! It took me some time to come read it because I've been so busy- but I'm so glad I did! I have one friend like this- and I simply HAVE to keep the hope that we will live closer again someday. We grew up together from the age of 10 but since college we've been separated far too much- but it's still the same as you said when we get together. She's like my blood. What a wonderful post! So heartfelt and well written! Thank you!

Kenlie said...

It's pretty incredible that you have friends like that. I wish I could say the same. I have a few friendships that I formed in my early 20's...and since moving to NY (only a year and a half ago) I have begun forming friendships...

You're so lucky to have them already!

Jenners said...

Well said! I wish I was in touch with people I knew when I was 5 -- that would be awesome. But I do have some girlfriends from college where we go months and months without talking and then we finally talk and it is like a day never went by. Girlfriends are a wonderful thing.

Anonymous said...

I have one of those - been friends since we were in first grade and we've been out of school 9 years. Wow, twenty-one years. But I agree. They are an amazing amazing gift. Everyone should be so blessed as to have one.

Unknown said...

Oh, I just love friends like this. Such a sweet post. I am glad that you could have a nice day with such special friends. Don't they make life so much better? : )

 
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