My little girls are growing up...
Last weekend was Beach Weekend '09 - The Reunion. Every year, five girlfriends who have been close since elementary school get together for a weekend of GCF (good-clean-fun) and, up until recently, boy-bashing (also known as “man-hating”).
As always, this year’s Beach Weekend was a success! But, amidst the quiet reflection that inevitably comes from comparing last year’s Facebook photos to this year’s (and the untagging that ensues), I couldn’t help but notice that something was different. We’d changed, and it wasn’t just a few pounds here or there, a new hair style (or color), or an increasingly developed fashion sense – we, for the first time, (vaguely) resembled adults.
{We also, unlike in years past, were all spoken for by seemingly appropriate male suitors. Good job ladies!}
Rather than taking to the streets (read “bars”) of Belmar, NJ for two nights straight, we opted for a calmer route: Cocktails out back by the dunes and genuinely taking time to catch up, and (get this) L I S T E N to the goings on of our friends’ lives. It was wonderful!
I found myself staring, in disbelief, at a group of young women whom I’d seen go through the ups and downs of life. We’ve laughed with each other, cried with each other, and been at each others’ sides when %#@! has hit the fan. We’ve each had front row seats to the dramas of each others’ lives since before I can remember and here we were, employed, paying bills, and planning our futures, all the while giggling as we always have.
As we made our way up from the Jersey Shore and the reality of the impending Monday morning commute settled in, I was left with an overwhelming feeling. Sleep deprivation aside, I was focused on how rare and special a thing it is that we share: A friendship that has withstood the tests of time, and I reckon, will continue to do so. The five of us could not be more different, and yet, rather than drift apart and succumb to the pressures of life that often tear at childhood friendships, we have stayed strong and connected to one another. We may not speak on a daily basis, but when we do, it’s as if not a moment has passed since last we caught up.
Later that night, as I settled in to recount the weekend's events to the ManBoy, I realized too that I was in a completely different place from just one year ago. Here I was, sitting across from the ManBoy I love, and with whom I am thrilled to be planning a life, speaking about my friends whom I’ve known since preschool. He listened, politely intrigued, as I described what had taken place. He couldn’t have felt more removed or out of context, but I sensed that, as I spoke, (unaware of whether he was listening or tuning me out) he learned things about my past that I hadn’t even thought to share with him.
Many of these girls he’s not yet met, (something that is about to change as the girls have planned a “meet and greet” happy hour with our significant others for next week) but, they have been witnesses to my life long before I even knew he existed. I can say, with absolute certainty, when I look back over my 23 years, that I have been in a state of constant evolution. And, while that transformation, I hope, has not yet come to an end, I am in a content and happy place, the likes of which I’ve never seen in my past. It’s a comfort to know though, regardless of what’s changed, that there are a select few who have been there for the whole ride. They have a unique perspective on my life and constantly remind me of how far I’ve come.
So ladies, I thank you. I love you all for who you were and who you’ve become. I love you for your uniqueness and your understanding. I love you for always being up for cocktails and a good laugh. But, most of all, I love you for your friendship.
Last weekend was Beach Weekend '09 - The Reunion. Every year, five girlfriends who have been close since elementary school get together for a weekend of GCF (good-clean-fun) and, up until recently, boy-bashing (also known as “man-hating”).
As always, this year’s Beach Weekend was a success! But, amidst the quiet reflection that inevitably comes from comparing last year’s Facebook photos to this year’s (and the untagging that ensues), I couldn’t help but notice that something was different. We’d changed, and it wasn’t just a few pounds here or there, a new hair style (or color), or an increasingly developed fashion sense – we, for the first time, (vaguely) resembled adults.
{We also, unlike in years past, were all spoken for by seemingly appropriate male suitors. Good job ladies!}
Rather than taking to the streets (read “bars”) of Belmar, NJ for two nights straight, we opted for a calmer route: Cocktails out back by the dunes and genuinely taking time to catch up, and (get this) L I S T E N to the goings on of our friends’ lives. It was wonderful!
I found myself staring, in disbelief, at a group of young women whom I’d seen go through the ups and downs of life. We’ve laughed with each other, cried with each other, and been at each others’ sides when %#@! has hit the fan. We’ve each had front row seats to the dramas of each others’ lives since before I can remember and here we were, employed, paying bills, and planning our futures, all the while giggling as we always have.
As we made our way up from the Jersey Shore and the reality of the impending Monday morning commute settled in, I was left with an overwhelming feeling. Sleep deprivation aside, I was focused on how rare and special a thing it is that we share: A friendship that has withstood the tests of time, and I reckon, will continue to do so. The five of us could not be more different, and yet, rather than drift apart and succumb to the pressures of life that often tear at childhood friendships, we have stayed strong and connected to one another. We may not speak on a daily basis, but when we do, it’s as if not a moment has passed since last we caught up.
Later that night, as I settled in to recount the weekend's events to the ManBoy, I realized too that I was in a completely different place from just one year ago. Here I was, sitting across from the ManBoy I love, and with whom I am thrilled to be planning a life, speaking about my friends whom I’ve known since preschool. He listened, politely intrigued, as I described what had taken place. He couldn’t have felt more removed or out of context, but I sensed that, as I spoke, (unaware of whether he was listening or tuning me out) he learned things about my past that I hadn’t even thought to share with him.
Many of these girls he’s not yet met, (something that is about to change as the girls have planned a “meet and greet” happy hour with our significant others for next week) but, they have been witnesses to my life long before I even knew he existed. I can say, with absolute certainty, when I look back over my 23 years, that I have been in a state of constant evolution. And, while that transformation, I hope, has not yet come to an end, I am in a content and happy place, the likes of which I’ve never seen in my past. It’s a comfort to know though, regardless of what’s changed, that there are a select few who have been there for the whole ride. They have a unique perspective on my life and constantly remind me of how far I’ve come.
So ladies, I thank you. I love you all for who you were and who you’ve become. I love you for your uniqueness and your understanding. I love you for always being up for cocktails and a good laugh. But, most of all, I love you for your friendship.
What a sweet and special post!! I loved reading this. You are so blessed with such a wonderful group of friends!!
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