Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The Women


My very best girlfriends and I grew up right down the street from each other.  We've
known each other forever, or since forever first began in my childhood memories.  My
high school years are a blur of late night giggle fests, long car rides with the windows
rolled down, and these three beautiful girls: Jessica, Jolie, and Ashley.  These three
women know me inside and out, backwards and forwards.  They have been the
undeniable constant in my life throughout the last 20 years, the four of us ebbing and
flowing in and out of each other's daily lives as we move from one phase to the next.  They
are the women every woman should be so lucky to have.  And during this most recent
difficult time in my life, they have been with us every step of the way.
This past weekend, we spent a lovely Louisiana Saturday night in the company of these
three gems, the husbands, and our tribe of children.  Conversation is effortless when you
are with friends such as these: I never fear judgement or criticism, negativity has no
place when the four of us are together.  We can just BE, with all the mess and chaos going
on around us we can be free to be ourselves.  
A supervisor told me recently in reference to a very catty and drama filled co-worker,
"Oh,  that's just how women are".  I smiled to myself, feeling so completely blessed to
know better.  No, that's not how women are.  Not the women I am lucky enough to call
my friends.  When women come together with the intentions of bringing each other up 
and making each other stronger, leaving their egos and insecurities at the door, they 
become a force to be reckoned with.  It's about having a gracious and servant heart, 
accepting differences and celebrating each other's successes.  It's about watching each
other grow and evolve and become the people we were always meant to be.  Thank you,
my beautiful sisters, for blessing me with such love.
From rebellious and wild free spirited flower power tree huggers...

To slightly more calm and serene free spirited flower power tree huggers...

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It was a really beautiful night with our second family.


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3 comments:

Deanna Fike said...

i stared at that first picture for a long time. it's uncanny how much you and belle look alike!

Jessica said...

I was thinking the same as Deanna. lol
That is so cool how you guys recreated that picture! It instantly reminded me of Now & Then. Remember that movie? lol

Ashley said...

I love all the pics! I think I just read this post for the 10th time! Words cannot describe my feeling for you 3 ladies. There are some things I might be unsure of or insecure about, but our friendship isn't one of them. I loved yall visiting us and joining me in my corner of the world for a few hours. No invitation ever needed, it'll always open. The personalities in that first picture have changed as far as maturity but its funny to realize we are shaped way before we realize it. You are still a peace-seeker ;). One of my favorite traits in you. Maybe we'll be able to do a 'then' and 'now' comparison with our kids way down the road ;).