It started out simply enough. I was in the throes of a breakup from a long-time girlfriend. I was looking for allies and friends because the breakup wasn’t just with her it was with a community.
What happened in the midst of that “turmoil” was I met and re-met a number of women in my personal network. Platonic, non-romantic women who listened and supported me. I found several of them confidants on the level of my own sister.
Let’s digress for a moment to understand who my blood sister is to me. Pat is 10 years my senior and the my closest advisor. She knows me and calls me out on things as well as being my sounding board. Few people know me like my sister and I don’t trust too many beyond her.
Enter the sisters. Ranging from cycling and running friends to business associates to high school buddies, these ladies have one thing in common: they’ve all treated me with kindness and fairness, unconditionally. If they feel my pain, I hear about it. But I also hear about when I’ve stepped over a line or bridged a boundary.
A note. A call. A text. Sharing a beer or a meal. Biking beside me. Walking dogs. They are my friends, my confidants. The love we feel for one another is special, unique and unconditional.
Jody is my traveling companion and puts up with my lack of spontaneity. Dona says I’ll be her “maid of honor” at her wedding. Lisa texts me early in the morning to check on me. Patty and Lani are my angels, scraping me up off the pavement and hugging my dog just when she needed it. Roxanne has incredible timing with just the right meme. Ambre’s timing of a supporting text is amazing. Laurie meets me for a ride just when I need one. Marcia got me back on the tandem. Taffy launches a great gaffaw just when I need a laugh. They all know my dog and hug her when they see her. And there are others who show up just when we need each other.
And they know my stories. Or story. They’ve helped me navigate my broken heart and look ahead not back. They are both safety net or the shove when I need either.
They are my friends.
And I’m there for them, too.
I love my sisters and thank God every day that He granted me this extended family.
Relentless
