An exciting thing has happened. My calendar is full of dates! Not like romantic dates, but friend dates, with my girlfriends. As I get older, it seems I have to work harder and harder to find time for friends. Life is demanding, and most of us spend the majority of our time at work, or several different “works” if you’re like me. With the time we spend not working, we have to manage a lot of crap. Not crap, life. We have to manage the entire rest of our lives when we aren’t at work. It makes me tired to even think about, but it’s exactly why I feel this excited to have so many girl dates.
First off, I call them “dates” because
I write them in my calendar…in pen. I use bullet journaling to stay organized and I notice when I’m really excited about something, I write it in PEN (and usually add a little doodle.) This is significant because it’s a sign of commitment! If I think something may get cancelled or moved, I will write in pencil. There is nothing I hate more than a scribbled-out bit of text in my notebook.
I’m noticing that dates with my girlfriends usually involve a new experience.
Sometimes this is on a small scale, like trying a new recipe, running a new trail, or tackling a workout class I’ve never been to before. Sometimes it’s on a large scale like going to see a band I’ve never heard of or traveling to a new part of the world. Hanging with my girls introduces me to so many things. (Thanks to Jessica for my love of Tempeh, Kat for introducing me to Rainbow Kitten Surprise, and of course to Amy and Heather for helping me fall in love with Lawrence, Kansas!) My girls and I crave adventure. We love to connect with one another and value the experience of learning about each other and with each other, in new situations!
Speaking of learning about each other,
it seems like spending time with “the girls” brings out our similarities. I can see a bit of myself in each of the women in my life and it encourages me to be a little stronger, a little kinder, a little more better. A good conversation with a gal pal can even help you feel more connected. Back in 2016, I went through some pretty hard times. My bestie Crystal would call me twice a week and make me tell her things I was thankful for. Some days it was hard to come up with something to be happy about, but she wouldn’t let me off the hook until I did. It was a simple gesture and may seem insignificant, but to me it was love.
Women face so many unique circumstances every day.
It can get overwhelming, especially in today’s climate where the word “feminist” is synonymous with radical extremism. When we get the girls together to share stories and try new things we see just how alike we really are. We tap our inner strength and become more resilient. We can face challenges with more gusto because we may just know someone who has been through it too.
This past weekend I had the pleasure of organizing a girl date extravaganza.
I managed to convince 15 of my adventurous gal pals to try handstands with me at a special yoga class. (Note: there was a man in attendance, but that’s not what this article is about.) Just like any host, I was concerned that everyone would have a good time, but we got along famously. It was such a joy to see my friends trying new things and having fun. I didn’t realize how important this event was to me until I saw all these beautiful strong women in the room. They were trusting me to show them a good time, and by gosh, I was going to do it! We laughed, we cried from laughing so hard, we listened to old school hip-hop, and we lived it up.
Girl dates help me realize
that no matter how tough life gets, I have amazing magical unicorn girlfriends in my life…these and other strong women like my mother, coworkers, lifelong friends etc, are helping to light my way. When we bond, we become stronger. When women connect and elevate each other, the whole world gets better.
Sharing quality time with people you care for is always a treat…
but spending time with your girlfriends is like a whole birthday cake! If you want to live your best life, you have to get a girl date on your calendar! You’ll have fun and probably learn something, cuz girls are wicked smart!
Namaste,
E
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