Sometimes You Just Need Your Girlfriends
I have a scar on my right ear near the top. A little bit of the skin is gone, and sometimes when I'm fixing my hair, I feel it and think about how I got it. It's the result of a curling iron accident that happened years and years ago.
I think we were getting ready to go to the movies; one of the only entertainment options in my rural hometown. Jess was fixing my hair, a labor of love she devoted herself to because I was hopeless at such things. We were talking away about the movie we wanted to see and when Brooke would arrive. She rolled the curling iron right on top of my ear. I could hear sizzling. I'm serious. Jess was talking, and so she didn't even notice until I finally yelled. "YOU'RE BURNING MY EAR!!"
She instantly let go and panicked. Her hands were fluttering all around my head. I thought she was going to cry. I though I was going to cry. I won't lie to you -- it hurt. I wasn't really mad though. Even in that moment, I realized that getting my ear burned this one time was a small price to pay for all beautifying Jess had done for me in my lifetime.
She let me borrow her shirts in middle school. We'd talk at night and arrange the swap for the next day. We even bought matching outfits once. At the time we thought it was great, which is all that really matters. The shirts were purple and comfortable; we wore them slam out.
She taught me how to paint my nails. I'm not kidding. We sat in her living room, and she coached me on the best way to do it. I thought of her last night when I painted them on the paisley couch in my living room.
She loves jewelry and was always buying it for me. I learned how to accessorize thanks to her generously flowing stream of feminine gifts. She even gave me this delicate gold bangle as a wedding present. She said, "Listen, people are going to give you stuff for your house, but you won't remember who gave you what. Think of me when you wear this." She was absolutely right. When I put it on, she's the first thing that comes to my mind.
On my wedding day, she was there to help me get ready. My hair, make up, and jewelry had to be perfect. I felt beautiful. She didn't mind taking charge of the photographs. I have great pictures because she did.
Once in the teacher's lounge at work, one of my colleagues started crying over her lunch. She was going through a personal rough patch. She said through her tears, "I tried to talk about all this to my husband, but he didn't understand. It just made me feel worse." Another of our friends leaned over, put her arms around her, and said, "Oh honey, we're here for you. Sometimes you just need your girlfriends." Truer words were never spoken.
My friend Jess is just one example of all the amazing women that have shaped my life. The older I get the more I appreciate them.
Who knows what life would have been like for me through my school days if Jess hadn't decided to befriend me. She and our other friend Brooke managed to see past my shyness. They took the time to get to know me and love me just the way I was. I owe so much of my good memories from that time to the two of them.
These days we live hundreds of miles apart, and use Facebook to see what the others are up to. None of us live in our hometown any more. We've followed jobs and relationships to other places. In spite of all that, I love them just as much today as I did twenty years ago, and they are still important to me. I can say from experience; sometimes you just need your girlfriends.
"Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul." Proverbs 27:9 The Message
Image Credit: http://www.mariamedia.net/why-girlfriends-rock/
I think we were getting ready to go to the movies; one of the only entertainment options in my rural hometown. Jess was fixing my hair, a labor of love she devoted herself to because I was hopeless at such things. We were talking away about the movie we wanted to see and when Brooke would arrive. She rolled the curling iron right on top of my ear. I could hear sizzling. I'm serious. Jess was talking, and so she didn't even notice until I finally yelled. "YOU'RE BURNING MY EAR!!"
She instantly let go and panicked. Her hands were fluttering all around my head. I thought she was going to cry. I though I was going to cry. I won't lie to you -- it hurt. I wasn't really mad though. Even in that moment, I realized that getting my ear burned this one time was a small price to pay for all beautifying Jess had done for me in my lifetime.
She let me borrow her shirts in middle school. We'd talk at night and arrange the swap for the next day. We even bought matching outfits once. At the time we thought it was great, which is all that really matters. The shirts were purple and comfortable; we wore them slam out.
She taught me how to paint my nails. I'm not kidding. We sat in her living room, and she coached me on the best way to do it. I thought of her last night when I painted them on the paisley couch in my living room.
She loves jewelry and was always buying it for me. I learned how to accessorize thanks to her generously flowing stream of feminine gifts. She even gave me this delicate gold bangle as a wedding present. She said, "Listen, people are going to give you stuff for your house, but you won't remember who gave you what. Think of me when you wear this." She was absolutely right. When I put it on, she's the first thing that comes to my mind.
On my wedding day, she was there to help me get ready. My hair, make up, and jewelry had to be perfect. I felt beautiful. She didn't mind taking charge of the photographs. I have great pictures because she did.
Once in the teacher's lounge at work, one of my colleagues started crying over her lunch. She was going through a personal rough patch. She said through her tears, "I tried to talk about all this to my husband, but he didn't understand. It just made me feel worse." Another of our friends leaned over, put her arms around her, and said, "Oh honey, we're here for you. Sometimes you just need your girlfriends." Truer words were never spoken.
My friend Jess is just one example of all the amazing women that have shaped my life. The older I get the more I appreciate them.
Who knows what life would have been like for me through my school days if Jess hadn't decided to befriend me. She and our other friend Brooke managed to see past my shyness. They took the time to get to know me and love me just the way I was. I owe so much of my good memories from that time to the two of them.
These days we live hundreds of miles apart, and use Facebook to see what the others are up to. None of us live in our hometown any more. We've followed jobs and relationships to other places. In spite of all that, I love them just as much today as I did twenty years ago, and they are still important to me. I can say from experience; sometimes you just need your girlfriends.
"Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul." Proverbs 27:9 The Message
Image Credit: http://www.mariamedia.net/why-girlfriends-rock/
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