This I Believe

I believe that we are as great as our friends. For that reason I deliberately set out to bring women into my life with positive attitudes, a belief in possibility, and the ability to see and enjoy the quirky side of living.

As a correspondent for a small newspaper, and an expert in what the editor described as fluff pieces, I was most often sent on interviews for human interest stories which provided me with the opportunity to meet countless local women. Oftentimes I’d leave an interview wanting to sit and talk just a little longer, fascinated by someone who was living life on their own terms; women who were artists, decorators, photographers, or business professionals.

Mustering my courage and aware that my dining room table could comfortably accommodate six, I invited five of these fascinating women for a light lunch, instructing each to bring a favorite poem or book to share with the group. All immediately accepted the invitation, leaving me to second guess the sanity of my idea. Didn’t these women already have full and interesting lives? Wouldn’t such a life naturally include like-minded friends?

Pushing aside my apprehensions about whether these women might or might not want to expand their circle of acquaintances I began to deal with the devil in the details. I fretted about the food, the house, and what to wear. I wondered if the group would find common topics of conversation or we would all politely languish.

Greeting each at the door with expectations and a smile I soon learned a bit more about the women that I found so fascinating. Such women do not turn themselves on and off. They glow and they simmer. They also connect.

I don’t remember what I served or if the house was thoroughly dusted. I do remember the tentative start to the conversation which quickly blossomed into enthusiastic chatter and laughter. I do remember that the lunch didn’t break up until 3:30, and only after we’d set a date to meet at someone else’s home the following month.

We’ve been meeting every month for over five years. We’ve met in hot tubs in the snow. We’ve done art projects, had overnights at an elegant B&B, and consumed huge quantities of chocolate mousse, insisting to each other that dessert is one of the major food groups.

We’ve been there for each other through crisis, celebrations and personal exploration. We’ve each expanded our horizons with generous encouragement from the group and in turn, acted the part of cheerleader. We are, through mutual support, becoming as great as our friends. And individually, we are each becoming as great as our friends believe we can be.