I’m running away.
I’ll squeeze my littles goodbye, give that hubby of mine a big smooch, and say farewell to Mumma-Me. Girls night is coming up, and for one evening I’m not a mom, not a wife. I’m just a girl.
Oh ok, I know I’m still a mom and wife. But for this one night those roles are taking a backseat.
On Friday, I’ll be back in middle school with my handful of forever friends. Laughing until we cry. Crying until someone laughs. Drinking way too much, sleeping way too little. Dancing like Fly Girls. Singing like Spice Girls. And creating a new patch of memories to sew into this tapestry of friendship we’ve taken over two decades to weave.
There’s a saying about new friends being Silver and old friends being Gold. But screw that. These girls are more precious to me than Gold. They are Water.
Yeah… Water.
They are one of the most sacred elements. A life-source.
These girls of mine are the sixty-percent H2O that keeps me alive.
Our bond began a good twenty-plus years ago… and our friendship trickled from a small stream into an ocean of boundless wonder.
At the beginning of our journey, it was all about flow. We jumped in together, drifted down the river of adolescence without a care about the direction we were headed. We had no idea where it was taking us, no clue how precious our numbers would stack up against the oncoming rapids. We just went with it… hand in hand.
Thank God we’ve never let go.
My girls never fought the current. They became the current. The water that not only leads, but seeps in and guides from the depths.
There have been times when I’ve lost myself. Strayed so far into the dark and deep. For these times, my girls became the gentle pools of reflection. They reminded me who I am and from where I came. They know my history, know my trials and triumphs. They’ve shown them to me whenever I’ve gone adrift.
These girls see me when I’m treading in dangerous areas and they don’t hold back when I need a splash in face. They are unapologetic. They know I might be furious by the onslaught at first, but they won’t stand down when I’m not standing up to be everything I should be.
Though rarely, I can get heated. And boy do they boil along with me when I’m angry. But they also know when to tell me to simmer down if my roll is getting out of hand.
They cleanse me when I’ve been flung with dirt without question of where it came from. They always see the beauty that lies beneath, and work with all their might to make sure that I see it too.
For the times when the world starts spinning out of hand, and I need a break. A time out. They freeze with me. Rock solid and unmoving, but with a quiet reminder that this is a temporary state. No matter how uncomfortable, they will wait until I’m ready to thaw. Ready to move forward.
They are the tears that streak my cheeks, whether in laughter or heartache. They know the necessity of both.
And when I’m thirsty… Man, these girls know how to quench it. They are the bubbly soda that makes my tequila float, all the while making sure it’s watered down enough to keep me in check.
But most importantly they are the sea that rocks our FriendShip. They are the ebb and flow. They are the tide that I can count on day in and day out. No matter how far they shift away from the shoreline, they are still in eyesight and I know they will always return when I need them most.
This night will be filled with wine glass confessionals. With endless Disney references and Ron Burgundy quotes. With what the hell are you thinking’s, and I can’t believe you just’s. With remember when’s, I can’t wait for’s, and imagine if’s.
When it’s over, I’ll go back to being mom. To being wife.
But for this one night, I’m just a girl celebrating friendship with her best humans!
I’m thirsty just thinking about it!
.
