Grateful for My Girlfriends

I’ll be the first to admit that Galentine’s Day isn’t something I normally celebrate. I’ve been married longer than Galentine’s Day has even been in existence, and although I do give Valentine’s cards to my children and other close family members, my time goes to my husband, Mark. I do love to spend time with my special girlfriends, though, and so I’ll use any excuse to host or organize a little get-together. That’s why, Amber, Christen, and I will be hosting a little Galentine’s dinner of our own this year.

Although I’ve never celebrated Galentine’s Day, I have hosted my fair share of “Girls Night” events. They usually involve dinner and a movie, or maybe cocktails at my house while we enjoy some kind of shopping party or card games, but we’ve done other outings, too. My crafty friends and I have delighted in many day trips to local scrapbooking stores, conventions, and craft parties. It’s something that has been curtailed to the extreme due to COVID, but now that most of us are vaccinated (and some of us have had COVID in spite of it), we feel safer being around each other and we’re looking to get back in the habit.

Hanging out with my friends (under any circumstance) is one of the things I do for self-care. Getting out of the house and surrounding myself with these remarkable and talented women helps me forget the stress of work, home, and health issues while I soak up a lot of love, inspiration, support, and joy. If it weren’t for this small group of ladies (and I hope they know who they are!), I could not have made it through two years of COVID, caring for my mother and our dear friend on hospice while supporting my niece (who is also one of my besties!), trying to keep my business afloat, and dealing with my own medical issues. They have accepted me for who I am, supported me in every hair-brained idea, and encouraged me to keep exploring who I am and what I want out of life. I see most of them on a weekly basis, talk to a few almost every day, and some are such old friends that we can pick up a conversation after an absence of weeks as though we’d never stopped. Two of them have even joined me in creating this podcast and blog.

That’s why I am so excited about hosting this Galentine’s Day. I want to make sure all these special ladies know how much they mean to me, and I want to do it in style. A nice dinner, an exchange of cards, and lots of laughter. It’s just what we all need to let off steam and remind us of what’s really important. So, here’s to my besties, young, old, and wherever they are in between. Thanks for being my friends, and I hope we get to spend a lot more time together in 2022!