Girlfriends are important

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea
and visiting with her Mother. As they talke d about life, about
marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations
of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass
thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.

“Don’t forget your girlfriends,” she advised, swirling the tea
leaves to the bottom of her glass. “They’ll be more important as
you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no
matter how
much you love the children you’ll have, you are still going to
need
girlfriends. Remember to go places with them now and then; do
things with them. And remember that “girlfriends” are not only
your friends, but your sisters, your daughters, and other
relatives too. You’ll need other women. Women always do.”

‘What a funny piece of advice,’ the young woman thought.
‘Haven’t I just gotten married? Haven’t I just joined the
couple-world? I’m now a married woman, for goodness sake! — a
grownup, Surely my
husband and the family we’ll start will be all I need to make my
life worthwhile!’

But she listened to her Mother; she kept contact with her
girlfriends and made more each year. As the years tumbled by,
one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom
really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work
their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, girlfriends
are the mainstays of her life. After almost 50 years of living
in this world, here is what I’ve learned:

Times passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Men don’t call when they say they will.
Children grow up-and leave you.
Love waxes and wanes.
Hearts break.
Self-absorption refuses to see the truth.
Careers end.
Jobs come and go.
Children forget to call.
Parents die.
Girlfriends understand.
Colleagues forget favors.

BUT, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you,
girlfriends are there. A girlfriend is never farther away than
needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome
valley, and you have to walk it for yourself, your girlfriends
will be on the valley’s rim, cheering you on, praying for you,
pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with
open arms at the valley’s end. Sometimes, they will even break
the rules and walk beside you. Or come in and carry you out. My
mother, sister, sister-in-law, “sisters,” extended family, and friends bless my
life! The world wouldn’t be the same without them, and neither
would I.

When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had
no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor
did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each
other still.