The phrase, 'girlfriend getaway' used to make my eyes roll just as much as hearing "moms night out."
I always bristled at the term because I envisioned a bunch of silly women stuffing dollar bills into the shorts of buff young men wearing g-strings. Boy have I changed my tune. Or tude. Not about the boys but about the NEED for time with my girlfriends - a night out, a lunch, a getaway. I don't care what you call it - I need it!
Time with my girlfriends reminds me that I have one more identity that doesn't get enough attention - the same identity I fear losing - that of person, confidante, and woman. Yes, I am those things when I am not with girlfriends but when I am with them, that identity takes center stage. It feels good. I am understood.
Best of all, I rarely have to repeat myself and I never have to clean up after any of them.
Hanging out with my friends also reminds me of my history. There are different girlfriends for different moods - my friends who go waaaay back - to high school and college. New friends I have made since my kids entered school and business friends. Each group deserves attention because each group is a part of who I am.
Those parts make up the whole. Missing parts leave gaps - holes if you will. Leaving those gaps unattended can cause them to fester. That leaks out into daily life. Filling the gap doesn't have to mean a trip around the world. It just requires a little time with other women.
My girlfriend's getaway is overdue. The last big trip with girlfriends was five years ago. We celebrated my birthday and I learned to surf. I was so filled just by their being with me, I rode that high for several years. I'm planning to do it again in 2010, regardless of the economy, regardless of the demands of my family and work lives.
I wish that for you. The new year is coming. Plan time for you and your girlfriends.
