The Gift of Friendship

I value the women in my life. The gift of having someone who listens when you open up, supports and cheers you on when life's disappointments get you down, and who celebrates the joy of being alive with you, is one that should not be taken for granted.

I am fortunate to have a few women in my life who I can call friends.  There is the friend who I know will cajole me into laughing my way out of difficulty. There's the friend who will take charge, like a mother hen and organise when necessary. There are friends I can share the responsibilities of motherhood with, and the friends I can show my wild, outrageous Aquarian side to. There are those who inspire me and those who keep me young.

Different friends suit different times in my life. They come in different sizes, shapes and with different temperaments. Sometimes I find myself thinking about the space I am in and the friend I need, like one would choose a track of music to listen to or a book to read. My friends are like the family I have chosen. We share a bond that is born out of shared joy, sorrow and whatever it takes to deal with the blows that life sometimes throw at us. Long ago I learned that it was necessary to gather around me the people who build me up, support and nurture me, not people who tear me down. 

Whenever I have had the privilege of sitting down in a circle with some of the women I know, it amazes me how each one brings their own flavour to the gathering. It is exactly because we are so different that we can support each other - the mothers, grandmothers, career women, nurturers, cooks, givers and doers - sharing wisdom and experience. We emerge with our batteries recharged, ready to create the the small corners of peace in our home and our community.