To the Girls

Today is the day I praise my girlfriends. I will write about them again, maybe even making a monthly tribute to the women who decorate my life with love, laughter, tears, trials and Diet Coke.

Where would I be without my girlfriends? Several thoughts come to mind:

#1) In a maximum security prison serving 5 consecutive life sentences for killing my children. OK, I never really wanted to kill my children, but there were times that I was at my wits end and a dear friend reminded me to look at how much I love my children, adore them, and that my universe revolves around them.

#2) In a mental institution wearing a straight jacket and drooling on myself. This needs no explanation, as we all have felt like this at some time or another.

#3) A bleach blonde (with roots showing) pole dancer with several ill placed, ill chosen tattoo's. Maybe this is a stretch, but here's to the times my girlfriends helped me decide something was a really, really bad idea.

I suppose I could go on and on choosing scenarios that I could be living out without the help of a dear girlfriend at the exact right time. Perhaps some call it fate, and random, but I think each person that steps into our life is there for a purpose. Sometimes they are there to help us, to teach us, and to guide us. Other times, they are in our life to stretch us, try us and make us better people by associating with them. Sometimes we are there to help them, to support them, to love them and to be the shoulder to cry on, the hand to hold, or the one to laugh with until Diet Coke comes out of your nose, and you almost wet your pants.

Sometimes these girlfriends stay in our life forever, some come and go, and some stay for a short season. For each girlfriend who has footprints on my heart, I am eternally grateful for you.

Today I pause to say THANK YOU!

Thank you for:

• Diet Coke's
  
• Picking up my kids
  
• Grabbing items for me at the grocery store
• Buying lunch when I couldn't afford to and never making it a big deal
• Movie nights
  
• Painting parts of my house
• Making your husband's help around my house
• Attending my kid's functions
• Holding my hand when I am afraid
• Telling me the uncomfortable truth
• Laughing
  
• Remembering my birthday
• Fixing my mistakes
  
• Loving me....in spite of everything you know about me
• Loving my children as your own....in spite of everything you know about them!
• Listening
  
• Pushing me to be better

The list goes on and on. You know who you are. You are the women in my world. You are my friends. You are the ones who inspire me to be better every day, so I am a little more like you. Yea, I have a few of you. But each of you has a special place in my heart that is forever and ever uniquely dedicated to you.

I can only hope I have given you half as much as you have given me through your friendship.

You are always in my prayers, forever grateful for you- for helping out little 'ol me...... one random woman.