Sometimes I have somethig to say, and I thought this may be a good way to say it. Besides, my friend M.B. has been telling me I should blog for awhile now. Sometimes I want to blog about my love for my daughter, sometimes I want to blog out my anger at "the system" and the horrors of the world that I see through my practice as a professional social worker, sometimes I want to blog about abstract things happening on the periphery of our awareness, and sometimes I want to blog about whatever other random thought has occured to me. It sounds like I should have several different blogs. I'll start with one. And as I think about a blog I think of two people whose blogs I have visited regularly. My dear friend, MM, has two blogs. One is about her family, and the other about her art. I enjoy them both. They are uplifting and postivie and reading them is like drinking hot chocolate by a fire, surronded by friends in soft conversation. The other blog was from my partner's daughter-in-law during her pregnancy. It was very informative and enjoyable to go into her blog from time to time to get updates on her and the baby. The baby is here now, and I haven't checked the blog since the birth. Mom and baby are well, and I look forward to being in that beautiful, wise, and wonderful child's life as she grows into adulthood and beyond. I think about these blogs, and then think about how sometimes I want to rant and rave, like my niece T.R. sometimes does in her blogs. Well, I may do that from time to time, I admit, but my hope is that my blogs are more often positive, as well informative, interesting, and perhaps inspirational.
After all of that background, here's my main focus for this particular first blog. I want to blog about friends. I saw my best friend from my childhood this week after being separated for 15 years. It is so amazingly wonderful to have her in my life again. I received a call from my best friend from graduate school this moring. I love her so much and miss having her wit and mischieviousness around me. My best friend from work is in Wisconsin visiting her family, and my thoughts, as they often are, are with her. Several months ago I connected with my best friend from college (see blogger MM above) and it was so wonderful to see her, talk to her, hug her, meet her son, and it remains wonderful to have a sense of connection with her now. And then there's my friend W.F. We were close when we were younger, and I have to say, out of all of the friends from my childhood and youth, she is the one I have stayed the most connected to, despite having years here and there without any contact or even knowing where she was at. I remember when I graduated from high school thinking that no matter what, we would remain friends, and if ever separated for any length of time when we saw each other our friendship would be as if we were never out of touch. That has remained true. Although, my hope at this point in my life is to not have us disconnected any more. You know, when I saw V.S/J. again, I remembered something my partner and I had written into the program for our daughter's Welcoming Ceremonly, it was about the importance of people in our lives now, in the past, and in the future. MW was there that day, as was MB, but all of these other friends I speak of were absent physically, but there in recognition of their impact on my life and their importance to me.
It is a cold February day in Minnesota. Valentine's day has just past. WF told me about a space you can rent near her home. It's in a lodge with fireplace and it has a living room feel. As I write this blog, I am in that space. The fire is going. There is hot chocolate and hot tea in abudance. My amazingly wonderful partner is there. Our 1 y/o daughter is playing on the other side of the room with her friends; Collan, Brawnwyn, Sara, Oliver, Megan, and Erin. These are the children of my friends. And around the fire are these amazing women. Comfortable in soft chairs and cozy couches sit myself; my partner JR; my first best friend, the sudo sister I grew up with, V.S/J; my childhood friend that I never lose connection with no matter where we are or what is going on in our lives, W.F.; my best friend from college, who made me laugh and brought me to her home in rural Wisconsin on weekends, the warm thoughts blogger, MM; the witty and adventurous best friend from graduate school, JH; and one of the most amazing women I have ever known, she shares my name (sort of) and my birtdate (different years) MW; and last but not least, my partner's best friend who has become very dear to me, another sister and always good company, MB. In my heart, mind, and vision we are all together, on this day, enjoying each other's company, and knowing that the love and companionship of female friends rejuvinates, sustains, and inspires us. I am grateful to each of them, my dearest friends, and to all of my other friends from the time I started school and into the future, until the day that I die. Happy Valentine's Week. I love you, my dear friends!
