A lovely long FB chat with Chris tonight about family, choices, footy tipping, motivation and acupuncture got me in a reflective mood.
I'll introduce you to the girlfriends who fill my life with joy and challenge and fulfillment. What is the collective noun for girlfriends? A giggle of girlfriends? No, not enough. A grace of girlfriends seems more apt.
I'll start with Chris. Not for any reason other than she was the last girlfriend I spoke to. And, along with Cathy, if I don't count my sisters, Chris is pretty much my oldest friend. I've known her so long that I still inadvertently call her by her pre-marriage name.
Chris is a thoughtful, reflective, problem solving girlie. She wonders about the events in her life and the lives of others, and sets about searching for answers. Her candour is confronting but empowering. It cuts through. Chris surrounds herself with beautiful things; humble, charming, effortlessly chic things. And she has made beautiful babies. But Chris has a clutter to contend with; worries and trauma buzz around, threatening hope, stealing peace. I see Chris's passionate drive. A calm grace.
Staying friends with childhhood friends is tricky. A bit like a marriage; reinventing the relationship at each stage to keep it relevant to what is real at that time. Chris and I have undergone a bit of a reinvention too. Despite years of travel, living away from each other, consumed by careers and day-to-day family diversions, I have always felt her hand on my life. Her laugh and particular cadence of speech (!). And now, we both quilt. Not often or very purposefully. But it's a little thread between us. We sew together when we can. We chat about it. And we chat about more besides. It's our little bit of lovely in a year that has seen a lot of un-lovely.
My kids adore her. The Little One wants to live in a House That Chris Built, all French Provincial chicness. The Boy feels appreciated and listened to. The Sensible Girl loves her so much that she was a 'must invite' when she married her own Man. By her interest and humour, Chris has shown them that they matter. I'm a sucker for anyone who loves my kids. It's like they've joined my secret society.
