ON GIRLFRIENDS

Growing up, I slowly came to realize that girls could be really mean spirited. Mean in the sense that they enjoyed preying on one anothers insecurities, they enjoyed ganging up on a different girl each month for ridiculous, petty reasons. (which happened to me once or twice and completely crushed my spirit at the time), they enjoyed talking behind one anothers back. They just enjoyed being cruel. For all of these reasons, I have never been one to have a large group of girlfriends. At least not since grade school, as I think all this cruel behavior put a bad taste in my mouth for them - friendships with girls that is.

Don't get me wrong, I have always had my core group of great, great, girlfriends - Maggie, Bridget and Molly. You know, the type of friends that you have known for years and years. The ones that you can manage to not see for 2 years, then get together for dinner only for it to seem that not a day has passed since you had last talked? These types of friendships are priceless, the most special of all types of friendships, and I treasure them.

Beyond these 3 girls, I steered clear of the girl friendships, and stuck with "the guys". They were so easy to be friends with. No catty behavior, no talking behind one anothers back, no worrying if so and so is angry at you. Nothing of the sort. It was friendship in it's purest and simplest form. I happily went about my days with my group of guys, talking on the phone, getting together for BBQ's, going out to the bars. Life was good.

Then I got busy. Busy with College, jobs, and meeting my husband, Mr. Shelton. Then I seemed to loose touch with the guys. Everyone went their seperate ways, getting on with their lives, moving, starting new jobs, and families.

After marrying, Mr. Shelton and I moved to Stillwater, where we purchased our very first home in preparation for growing our family. ( I was newly pregnant.) I spent the next 8 months busy - working, and preparing for our little Ava to come into the world. Of which she did on January 22nd of 2003.

( I do have a point to this story, hang in there!)

A few months after her birth I realized that I was feeling lonely. Lonely and in need of some girlfriends to bounce parenting ideas off of, to vent to, to go grab a drink with, to shop with, to just hang out with. I was unable to fill that lonely void (except over the phone) with my three closest girlfriends as they had all since moved away. So with my sister Anna's coaxing, I decided to join the local Mom's club. I say coaxing as from reading above, you know my hang up's with the whole girlfriends thing. But I was going to go for it, try it out, and hope for the best.

Four years later, I can now say that I have forged some of the very best friendships I have ever had in my lifetime. I have found a group of girls that I am able to tell my deepest darkest secrets to, girls that I can cry with, girls that I find myself laughing until I pee with, girls that I am confident in saying would do anything for me, and I for them. 3 girls that remind me so much of my friendship with Maggie, Bridget, and Molly.

So today I am giving thanks for the girlfriends in my life. I give thanks for my three closest girlfriends that I was so fortunate to have when I was young, and to still have now as an adult.

And I give thanks for the new friendships I have made as an adult with Amy, Mari and Dominique. I feel so very lucky to have found that same kind of friendship with three other women. (Miss Dominique is missing from this picture).

Both my childhood girlfriends, and my girlfriends I have made as an adult are so very important to me. We are not catty or mean toward one another, we don't talk behind eachothers backs or treat eachother with disrespect. We all understand the true meaning of friendship, and know that these acts do not encompass what a friendship should be.

These friendships are rare, truly priceless, and will always be held close to my heart. These girls are my best friends, and without them I would be lost.