The friendship vaccine, yeah, that’s what I’m calling it. And to be honest, I think we all need it. Because after this year, I’m pretty sure it’s the one thing that has saved us all. “Will I ever see you again?” This has been the constant conversation since March of 2020, between besties, colleagues, and families from coast to coast. And here we are. Beyond ready for “the rona” to disappear and obviously more than ready for some sense of normalcy to return.
“Should we go to Miami in May?” That is the ever-changing question amongst my mom tribe text chain. Everyone is in flux, still. A million vaccines are rolling out and we are still a little on edge. A few of us haven’t seen our parents in over a year and well, instead of being sad about it, we are just trying to spend time with each other. Because after all, girl time saves us all. So what to do? All of us insist on a getaway soon and (God willing it’ll happen), but in the meantime, I’m lonely and I miss my people. There are a few ways I’ve been escaping the madness right here in town and let me give you a hint. It rhymes with torch.
MEET ME ON MY PORCH SWING
Every set of girlfriends are different. Some are locking up with the resurgence of Covid numbers. Some have heard the numbers are falling with vaccinations. Some are totally over it and ready for champagne downtown. Some of us have had covid. Some of us have not. Some of our kids have had it. Some have not. It’s hard to keep up with who can hang and who can’t and really it comes down to preference. But the truth, we’re over it. So when the text thread reads “Meet me on my porch swing”, duh, we’re there. The wine porch hang in 2021 is the new girl’s night out.
SOCIAL DISTANCE WINE-ING
If you’re a mom like 95% of our inner circle, chances are you’re exhausted (still), you’re over the school system, you’re dying to put on jeans and lipstick, and honestly just sit near your friend like it was just a normal Friday night in 2019. But it’s not. So the new birthday hangs of 2021 look a little different but offer the same resolve. We all bring wine and cheese and we sit out on someone’s back porch and we talk about our kids and our frustrations and our woes about jobs and changes in the industry….and it’s actually a dream come true. We light a fire, make s’mores, laugh till our bellies hurt, and so on and so forth. That’s what friendship does to you. That’s what friendship does for you. Side note: we are currently jonesing for a non-porch hang and thinking about checking out the rooftop at the Joseph Hotel downtown (looks amazing), so if you see us there soon, we definitely decided on a real girl’s night out.
FRIENDS THROUGH A PANDEMIC
I’ve seen people lose loved ones, I’ve seen people in my own family lose loved ones, I’ve watched the vitriol from both political parties destroy my happy place of social media with division instead of unity. We’ve struggled. We’ve fought with our husbands. We’ve lost babies. We’ve lost hope. We’ve hit the bottom. But one porch wine session in, (while the husbands watch the toddlers), we shed a few tears, eat a lot of expensive cheese, and laugh about how easy life was in our twenties. And suddenly, all is right in the world again. I repeat… that’s what friendship does to you. That’s what friendship does for you.
Here is what we do know, life looks a little different these days. For how long, that is what we just don’t know and there is peace with acceptance of that reality. But for us women who are multitasking children, husbands, homes, schedules, and where we might be in 6 months, it’s a lot to consider. A LOT. Life is just a little upside down. But the beauty of now is the beauty of today. Recognizing the importance of what truly makes you happy, (ie, your girlfriends on a Thursday night) and a night off from “momming”, it’s critical to plan these gatherings. In a day and age, when we just don’t know what to expect, it’s comforting to know that your home away from home, your refuge, your respite from the daily grind of mothering, is the females that brighten your life. So, I highly encourage you to get out of the house and sit on your besties porch, smack on some lipstick and enjoy a good laugh with the women who build you up. Because that’s living. And, I love that.
