Girlfriends

I wasn't the first of my friends to get married, and I'm not the last, either. Handfuls of friends got married while I was in my 20's and early 30's and then things kind of slowed in that area. At this point, though, I am the only one out of my circle of girlfriends who's married.

Somewhere along the way, friends who got married moved away or got busy being married. I lost touch with them- some purposely since it was too hard being the only one to call and feeling like I was intruding when I did. None of them ever seemed to have time to go out with their single- or married- girlfriends any longer unless it was some kind of weird "double date" or couples thing. And that was always weird if I wasn't dating someone seriously and had just a "casual" date or a friend with me.

I couldn't figure that out- what was the deal with these chicks when they up and got married? Sheesh! It felt like some of them disappeared when they got engaged. I didn't get the disappearing act- and I sure wasn't going to buy it when I finally got married, I told myself.

Let me put it this way: I. Need. My. Friends. My girlfriends. I need 'em.

Don't get me wrong. Michael became my best friend sometime while we were dating. He is still my best friend. I need him and couldn't live without him. But I need my girlfriends just as much, even if it seems like my life is "too busy" with a husband, and now, a baby. I need them to hang out with, to talk about nothing with, to not talk about the baby with (aw, man, lots of dangling participles- screw it!), to laugh with, cry with- and, well, you get the point.

And for anyone who thinks that moms need only "mom friends," think again. My single friends, I love hearing about your impulse buys- that fabulous bag, the must-have shoes. Tell me again how your date was? And about that fantastic new restaurant? And how much did you spend on those clothes? Ah, let me live vicariously in your carefree-ness!

I love you, my friends. You mean the world to me. And you make up a huge part of it. Don't ever think otherwise.