This weekend, back at my old school in Melbourne, a group of “old girls” celebrated 40 years since graduating. Many of us had been at that school since age 4 and so for us, we celebrate 52 years of friendship. WOW!
If the pause of Covid-19 has taught me one thing it’s to stop, think and be grateful for the things that I have in my life and reflect upon the joys of deeply invested in friendships.
Fundamentally, I have not changed over the years, if I’m your friend, I’m your friend and that’s it. It’s a funny thing but actually, time and distance are irrelevant to me and always have been. I have a very long memory, mostly for the good stuff.
Covid-19 prevented me from traveling from one side of the country to the other to attend the main event. Frankly, I have been feeling very cut off from family and friends while strangely, overwhelmingly uncomfortably comfortable in our West Australian bubble.
Reunion via What’s App
One friend, who I have literally not seen or spoken to for 10 years reached out to me this week. Completely out of the blue she called and said-“let’s catch up” and so we did. On Friday, the phone ran hot, reminding me of hours spent on the end of the telephone line after school, even though we had seen each other at school all day. Later, that evening we all dialed in again, three other “old girls”, one in Florida USA, and two in Melbourne. I am super grateful to sweet Kate, for making contact with me. Our friendship has endured and that means something extraordinary must have happened 52 years ago when we first met.
‘YOUNGER’, made me pause and reflect
During our recent 3-day snap lockdown here in Perth, I binged a TV show that has been running for 7 seasons. It seems that I have been living under a rock, until last weekend that is.
You must check out ‘YOUNGER’. I have to say it’s my new favorite show. Why? I think it’s because it ticks all the boxes for me, there’s quite a lot of romance (we all need that, right?). It is cleverly written. It is set in NYC (what’s not to love) and then there is Peter Hermann as Charles Brooks. Mostly though, I think it is because ‘YOUNGER’ explores and makes one reflect upon, the strengths and frailties of female friendships across age barriers, through thick and thin and the remarkable power of that friendship.
If the fundamentals are strong, if we laughed enough together, if we shared enough together, if we have given up enough of ourselves then it will endure. If you have a connection with someone, then you do and that’s just that.
Female friendships to me have always been the thing I value the most in my life -aside from my family of course. It could be that I went to an all-girls school, I’m not sure. I will say though that I have friends, real girlfriends, all over the world and I am so grateful. I really do value them.
The sisterhood has shaped my story, my history, and what I have done on this planet.
It is those important female friendships that have marked all of my achievements and, yes, the failures too.
I am very proud to say that I have old friends that go back 52 years. We don’t see each other very often and yet it’s as if we have seen each other a day ago. The content of the conversation might be different and filled with filling in the gaps that time has created but the connection is still as strong as it ever was.
I believe in the power of vibrations. The energy vibrations that you give off attract like energy to yours and according to experts in this kind of thing, means “that whatever is at a similar energy vibration to you will appear in your life.” If you are vibrating at the same energy frequency as someone you haven’t heard from in years, your energy vibrations attract that person into your life.”
That’s why often you take a call and say “Hey, I was just thinking about you”-it’s powerful stuff.
It’s a human thing, I guess, that we can simply pick up where we leave off with the ones that we connected with the most, whereas others perhaps were just passing through and perhaps the vibration was never that strong in the first place.
Let’s Get Social
Actually, I feel very grateful for Social Media-would I have written letters to all the friends that I connect with this days-NO! I do take the time to connect through Social Media though.
This week alone, I have communicated with friends and family in the USA, Germany, Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales, and even Morocco and for a kid born in 1964, this always blows my mind.
Aside from school friends, I have an incredible sisterhood from university days. There are the other Mums through my kids when they were babies and then in their school years. Brilliant women from my corporate work-life. There are all my hockey friends too. In the past six years, a group of gals who live far, far too far away in the USA, my wonderful garden writing friends.
I will also say that I have dear male friends too but that’s mateship…and well, that a whole different story and a tale for another day.
The joy of the sisterhood is that you just never know when that next one will come into your life. It really all depends on the energy vibrations at the end of the day.
and just like plants…there is always room for one more.
