Day 160
Tonight the girls of the ‘hood gathered for an FAC (Friday Afternoon Club) … but in the evening. Old friends, good friends … that bunch of friends and neighbors that some people are so lucky to have during their lifetime.
There were 14 of us tonight … all talking and laughing at once. It was GREAT! A regular hen-fest with lots of cackling and clucking!
I had my fair share of these gatherings at my house over the years … and always the same group (about 20 of us in all, though not all of us make each gathering) … and it was always fun to get this group together. After all, why would it not be fun? I have fun friends. It’s a good group. Everyone always comments to me that this group is special because of the fun factor … we always go home with happy hearts.
Well, you know … life is too short so why would I surround myself with duds?!
These ladies are wonderful. Funny, smart and caring … I know any of us could call on any of the others at 3am and get help if we needed. And along with a hug we’d get a pithy comment on how ugly our pajamas were or how wild our hairdo was or how cute our pig slippers were! Humor and caring … a good combo with good friends.
We talk about everything … as most women do. In the course of the evening as we each leap-frogged our way to another part of the patio to get in on another conversation there would be a gathering of others’ conversations … glimmers of insight, tidbits of information, sound advice taken from one conversation to the next.
I was in on or heard stories of childbirth (granted I think the youngest “baby” in the group is 13 and the oldest is 30), how one family transported a dead dog to the vet, the latest book rage, cancer treatments, scorpions, Pandora, pictures of pets, organic farming, physics, an upcoming wedding, a broken heart … and the one common factor, no matter who was talking or which ladies you were sitting with, lots and lots and LOTS of laughter.
That is always present at our gatherings … and lots of it.
So for hours we chatted and laughed and ate and drank and ate and chatted and laughed and ate and chatted and laughed. And then the group got a little smaller and we ate and chatted and drank and laughed and ate and chatted some more. And then the group got smaller still and yet the remaining few kept on laughing and chatting and eating and drinking … until we cleaned up and went home.
And it was wonderful.
So, a toast to you, my dear, good, good friends. You bring love and laughter into my life … and much light and warmth and happiness. And no matter where I choose to roam … my heart will always be with you and “home”.
Thank you for being such good friends.