A
young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting
with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the
responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked
the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon
her daughter.
"Don't
forget your girlfriends," she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the
bottom of her glass. "They'll be more important as you get older. No
matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children
you'll have, 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 your friends, but your sisters,your
daughters, and other relatives too. You'll need other women. Women always
do."
"What
a funny piece of advice," the young woman thought. "Haven't I just gotten
married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for
goodness sake! a grownup. Surely my husband and the family we'll start will
be all I need to make my life worthwhile!"
But
she listened to her Mother; she kept contact with her girlfriends and made more
each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to
understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and
nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, girlfriends are the
mainstays of her life.
After
almost 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:
Times passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Love waxes and wanes.
Hearts break.
Careers end.
Jobs come and go.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors.
Men don't call when they say they will.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Love waxes and wanes.
Hearts break.
Careers end.
Jobs come and go.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors.
Men don't call when they say they will.
BUT
girlfriends are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between
you. A girlfriend is never farther away than needing her can reach.
When
you have to walk that lonesome valley, and you have to walk it for yourself,
your girlfriends will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you,
pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the
valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you. Or
come in and carry you out. My mother, sister, sister-in-law,
"sisters," extended family, and friends bless my life!
The
world wouldn't be the same without them, and neither would I.
When
we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys
or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other.
Every day, we need each other still.
