To The Women in My Circle

When I was little, I used to believe in the concept of one best friend and then I started to become a woman.
Then I found out that if you allow your heart to open up it will show you the best in many friends.
One friend’s best is needed when you’re going through things with your guy.  Another friend’s best is needed when you’re going through things with your Mom.
Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke or just be.  One friend will say “Let’s pray together”, another “Let’s walk away together…”
One friend will meet your spiritual needs, another your shoe fetish, another your love for movies, another will be with you in your season of confusion, another will be your clarifier, another the wind beneath your wings…  But whatever the assignment in your life, on whatever occasion, on whatever the day, or whenever you need them to meet you with their gym shoes and hair pulled back or to hold you back from making a complete fool of yourself… those are your best friends.
It may all be wrapped up in one woman, but for many it’s wrapped up in several.  One from 7th grade, one from high school, several from the college years, a couple from old jobs, several from church; on some days it’s your mother, on others your sister, and on some days it’s the one that you needed just for that day or week - that you needed someone with a fresh perspective, or the one who didn’t know your baggage, or the one who would just listen without judging… they are good girlfriends/bestfriends.  Men are wonderful, husbands are excellent, boyfriends are awesome, male friends are priceless… but if you’ve ever had a real good friend, then you know there’s nothing like her.
Thank you God, for girlfriends.. those who honor your intimacy, those who honor trust, and those who just guide you back when you feel like life is just too heavy.  The special bond we share, that’s unique to us.  The words we’ve shared.  The prayers we’ve sent up.  The laughter, the tears, the phone calls, the e-mails, the shopping, the movies, the lunches, the dinners, the late night talks, afternoon talks, the weekend talks, all the talking, talking, talking and listening, listening, listening.
Thank you for being in my circle.