Community as Food

I hope you’ll forgive me.  I’m interrupting my Four Rules blog / posting.  I promise I’ll give you Rule 3 next week and I also promise

I will still give you the BONUS RULE that people are raving over – some saying that rule alone is responsible for 10 -15 pounds of weight loss! Maybe that’s an exaggeration – but boy, are they excited!

I want to tell you about two birthday parties, one last Friday for Sue’s  60^th, and one twenty-two years ago for Ellen’s 65th.  No, I don’t want to tell you about the cakes (amazing) or the food (top notch). What I want to describe was the air, the vibe, the love that was palpable at both events.

Twenty-two years ago at Ellen’s party, I walked from room to room, listening in on conversations a little, engaging in a few here and there, but what I wanted most of all was just to soak up what these women felt for each other.

These women who had known each other since elementary school (so rare these days), these women who had shared joy and tragedy by the basketful, these women  were overflowing with giggles, smiles and connection.

I basked in their exquisite stew of community; I felt like I was humming and vibrating in the effervescence of their love, their appreciation, and their gratitude for each other.

The effect lasted for hours afterward.  As I write, I can feel again, twenty-two years later.

Last Friday was a similar peak experience.  Only a few of the women had known the honoree from childhood, a few more since high school.

 

There were business partners and newer friends like me who were late to her life, but still counted at least 17 years as her friend. A toast brought tears all around.

That’s when I felt it again, that upwelling of love and community so rich as to give me chills!

Friends are the stuff of a rich life.  Studies show that women who nurture deep friendships live longer, are happier and in better health than their more solitary sisters.

I encourage you to connect with new friends, or to reconnect with the important people in your life.

Facebook is fine, but nothing takes the place of a good conversation and honest sharing. And a good belly laugh doesn’t hurt, either!

A dear friend moved to Florida some years back.  Lately, we’ve taken up the habit of a virtual glass of wine on alternate Mondays. Now reconnected, we’ve shared fears and frustrations, laughter and encouragement, and we are planning an adventure trip we’ve both wanted for many years!

However you connect, do it as often as you can. Let the love of good friends, the support you give and the support you get, and the laughter you share nourish your soul!

Be well, sisters!