A Circle of Friends

Last week I had a reminder about how lucky I am for the friendships in my life. Our book club is reading “Girls From Ames” (girlsfromames.com) which chronicles the life long friendship of 11 girls from Ames, Iowa. Not long into the book it became apparent that I, too, had an amazing circle of friends. The difference was that we didn’t grow up from childhood together, but rather, we grew up as adults together.

My husband of 27 years has the great fortune to have a handful of friends that he has grown up with. They maintain a very strong connection, some of them talking weekly. We have done many things over the years with this group, even though we are spread across the south. My children are blessed to witness the power of their friendship, calling each of these men by their nicknames over the years.

My own sisterhood of strength comes from an amazing group of women that I worked with for 15 years at IBM. Of course, many of them had known each other for years before I got there, but even after the last one stopped working there we have continued to meet for lunches, dinners and our annual IBM Girls Christmas Party. My relationship is 30 years long with this group. We have seen marriages, divorces, births, deaths, and many life-threatening illnesses. We circle the wagons at the drop of a hat, and are always there for each other. Lately, we have been meeting more often in suppport of two who are going through some difficult times. I’m pleased to know that these women will always be there for me, too.

I’d like to share part of the book that really says it all. “Having these women in my world has meant not only acceptance, but radiant joy and laughter that knocks me right out of my chair. Through our darkest moments, we have lifted each other up. In every moment of grief we’ve shared, our laughter is a life vest, a secure promise that we will not go under.”

Are you blessed with a great group of friends? I’d love for you to share your story with me.