Women throughout the centuries have come together to support each other and strengthen friendships through work, play, and in times of trouble. These special ladies, whether they are from your family or women who become like family, have played important parts in your life and you in theirs.
In centuries past, women came together to help out with such activities as preparing meals, child care, and in general just being there for each other. There were barn raisings, harvesting crops, quilting, charity fundraisers for our troops and communities, and whatever needed to be done. Women have never been shy about stepping up.
All of these gatherings then as now also played a bigger role for socializing. They were opportunities to come together to share bits of their lives, encouragement and skills when the business of living or distance made it hard. Even though you have those that you love dearly, friendships between women can fill a need that only another woman can understand.
No, we don’t have too many social gatherings over barn raisings these days. However; women getting together is just as important today, and our lives are just as busy, but in a different way. Maybe now instead of a quilting bee, it’s a girl’s day out shopping, a girl’s trip, or girl’s night out. It is a group of women who no matter how you met, whether family or not, or how many years you have known each other, you just connect.
Even if your “group” is just a group of two with that one special friend, you know this is the one you can call at 2 a.m. if you need them in an emergency.
When I think back over my Girl’s Night Out group, I think back over all the things we have been through together, some really fun times, and most of all the laughter. But through raising kids together, sharing stories about grandchildren, supporting each other during the hard times of life such as broken marriages, aging parents, and some very hard losses, we have never lost our capacity to find humor, love and laughter. Yes, even at some maybe odd moments when others just looked at us and said, “Really”?
Probably one of the hardest parts of coming together is getting it on everyone’s calendar and then keeping it as a priority. There are so many competing activities and needs that are just a part of life. Yes, sometimes we do reschedule, unless it is a free trip won from a radio station to Cancun, which really did happen when we were all busy moms raising our kids! Oh well, that’s another story. Well, maybe not. After all, our motto was, “What happens in Cancun, stays in Cancun!”
Getting together is still fun. There are always so many unexpected laughable moments. While you may have some other really good friends or acquaintances, there are those you just can share another level of craziness that others just don’t get or don’t want to be a part of. My friend who loves sharks comes to mind or my friends who not so long ago twisted my arm (not very hard) and talked me into dressing up as a zombie just so we could all meet Sammy Terry when he came to do a show in Greenfield. Of course, we could have skipped going to one of our local fast food restaurants in full costume at midnight, but did we?
Whatever you do when you get together for your Girls Day-Night Out, you look forward to sharing more fun and friendship. No matter how long it has been or whether you live close or far, women sharing their lives, support, and friendship through helping one another, laughter, and tears across the years is a gift of life like no other.
