I sat on a porch in Waycross, Georgia on a summer day, drinking
iced tea and visiting with my Mother. "Don't forget your
girlfriends," Mother advised, clinking the ice cubes in her glass.
"No matter how much you love your husband, you are still going to
need girlfriends. Remember to go places with them now and then; do
things with them. And remember that girlfriends are not only
friends, but sisters, daughters and other relatives too."
What a funny piece of advice, I thought. Hadn't I just gotten
married? Hadn't I just joined the couple-world? I was now a married
woman, for goodness sake, not a young girl who needed girlfriends.
But I listened to my Mom. I kept contact with my girlfriends and
made more each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another,
gradually I came to understand that Mom really knew what she was
talking about.
Here is what I know about Girlfriends:
Girlfriends bring casseroles and scrub your bathroom when
you need help.
Girlfriends keep your children and keep your secrets.
Girlfriends give advice when you ask for it. Sometimes you
take it, sometimes you don't.
Girlfriends don't always tell you that you're right, but
they're usually honest.
Girlfriends still love you, even when they don't agree with
your choices.
Girlfriends laugh with you, and you don't need canned jokes
to start the laughter.
Girlfriends pull you out of jams.
Girlfriends will give a party for your son or daughter when they
get married or have a baby, in whichever order that comes!
Girlfriends are there for you, in an instant and when the
hard times come.
Girlfriends listen when you lose a job or a friend.
Girlfriends listen when your children break your heart.
Girlfriends listen when your parents' minds and bodies fail.
Girlfriends cry with you when someone you loved dies.
My daughters, sisters, family, and friends bless my life! When
we began this adventure we had no idea of the incredible joys or
sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need
each other.
