Four Friends, Lots of Fun!

On Thursday last week (the day after Miss Erika was here), Jess, Kate and Jeannine came over to our house for a visit. I'm still flying!

We have been friends now for over 20 years! We have started to reconnect more in the last couple of years and are making more of an effort to get in a yearly face-to-face visit when Jess or Kate come to town. As many of you know, I had a close circle of eight girlfriends starting in seventh grade. So, here's four of us. Oh how we missed the other four women! We all had friends in addition to the group, but we always had the eight of us from seventh grade on. I've known Jess since fourth grade.

Imagine four very loud and boisterous women with very hearty laughs. I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time--I guess when you know each other for so long not much gets held back when it comes to conversation?! Details would not be appropriate for my blog. :)

The lighting didn't work in this photo, but we are all smiling in this picture. I messed with the coloring but it looks a little goofy! Oh well.

Sometimes I'm amazed that after all of these years we still find so much to talk about and share so much love and affection for each other. Looking back, I wonder what drew us together to begin with and what held us to tightly to each other? I find that these women are so deeply embedded in my heart that even when we have gone long periods without being in touch I never stop caring about them. If they asked me to be there for them, I would be in a heartbeat.

The afternoon was a true gift to me for two reasons:

1. It was so much fun! I don't have a 'group' of friends locally anymore. My friends are spread out all over the place. Energy-wise I've been too sick to seek out group activities and friends. Most of the time, I prefer one on one time with friends because it's physically easier for me to do. But I forgot the value of being with a group and the way stories and laughter unfold in that setting--especially with people I've known for so long.

The hardest part was knowing it would be a while before I would be with these friends again anytime soon. I didn't want the afternoon to end. And I fought through my symptoms because I knew it would be a long time before I'd see Kate or Jess again. (I do not think that laughter should create symptoms, but it does! I hate that!)

2. I was humbled by the visit on so many levels. I did not play hostess at all. I didn't get out snacks. I had Jess help herself to beverages for her and Kate. I saved my energy for visiting and I didn't apologize for it. I love that they have been coming to my house for so many years that when Jess and Kate got here they both asked to go check out my new room and headed right on back!

Mostly I realized what I often forget: I'm still me and I'm still the same person in so many ways to them. My illness and disability has not changed how they feel about me as a person. I'm not just an illness or disability to them because they have known the whole of me (flaws and all) for so many years. Kate can't wait to take me on an outing in my wheelchair.

For all of us, the afternoon was a time to fall back into a net of comfort and be authentically ourselves. We weren't put into our roles of mom, caregiver, wife, sick person. We were just ourselves and it was lovely. That's a rare and wonderful gift to share and I love that about my oldest of friends.

Thank you for visiting Kate and Jess! What a treat to have the four of us together all at the same time. Kate: Some day it will be the eight of us at the Super 8! :) (Or maybe we could upgrade a little?).

Blessings,

Emily

Photos: Jess, Jeannine, Me, Kate. Thank goodness Jess know how to use the self-time on my camera!