Jan 2020 - Females are Strong as Hell

When I was born, I became a younger sister. True to fashion I idolized my older sister (still do). Anything she did, I did. What she listened to, watched, read...played....I did too. It hasn't always been smooth sailing between us, but being together as adults we are closer than ever. We talk about life, childhood and share ridiculous memes. She'll always be my first call.

When I was little I had a friend that always got me in trouble. Together we drove our parents crazy during playdates and spent years going balls to the wall in everything we did. We've been friends for about 28 years.

When I was in high school I met two other girls that were best friends and polar opposites. One was bubbly and looked like a walking campaign for American Eagle, the other was quieter and spikey black hair. We spent the rest of our schooling together, joy riding at midnight, cramming onto one bed during sleepovers, fighting and making up. The four of us talk every day and have stood with each other through every major life movement.

When I was in theatre. I met a girl in a show that was way cooler than me. She took me out on my 21st birthday. We had frank conversations about sexuality and politics. She taught me to be okay with those topics and embrace them.

When I was in college, I got into a fight with a girl in my business class. We differed on opinion about a lecture topic and I thought she was a brat. We ended up in several classes together for our major and we became inseparable. She is my sounding board, my hype-man and my person.

When I started at my first job - I met two girls that had been hired at the same time. They were bright and sarcastic and fun to be around. We spent hours in our sweats, drinking wine and  talking about everything. We celebrated each other's wins and mourned our losses. They pushed me professionally.

When I got my first real apartment, I lived with a girl who became my sister. We built a home together, we grew together and moved beyond the things that held us back together. We hit painful life lessons head on. We took back our lives together (spiritually, mentally and physically) and through my relationship with her I found even more incredible bright, sassy, hilarious and insightful women that have become my female home and therapists in Santa Cruz.

Life is so busy. I don't always get the opportunity to sit down with my girlfriends and I miss them always.

I am saying all of this because I got a jolt of nostalgia last week when GG had her winter formal. I listened to her and her girlfriends chatter on the way home from school, while they got ready, on the way to dinner, after the dance and late at night when we got home.

It made me so thankful that I've been able to build such a network of strong and amazing women in my life. Women that I know I can turn to for anything. Women that have held me up through my darkest times and celebrated alongside me with all my successes.

Women that knew when I needed to talk, when I needed to act out, needed to run it out and when I needed to sit with a drink and be frivolous.

I've had the honor to stand beside them during their weddings, hold their children, hold them during their dark moments and let them speak...knowing they'd be received with no judgement.

There is power in all friendships. But -  there is something so uniquely special and intimate and sacred about female friendships. I hope that the young girls that are now in my life get to experience the same kind of joy that comes with having a sisterhood.

So essentially. I am thankful for each and everyone one of my female friends. I hope we spend more face-to-face time in 2020.