It's About Friendship - Katie
by Miracle Chasers on 03/26/17
Mao said that women hold up half the sky. I beg to differ. Like the ad jingle from the '80s said, "I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan..." a sentiment that women across the globe can understand as they juggle the multi-faceted needs of their jobs, families and communities. Women bond over the unique experiences that belong to them, a sisterhood that in combination with other forces, like motherhood or glass ceilings (or both), can produce some mighty friendships.
When my younger daughter Allie was in 6th grade she was bullied. Not for a day or a month, but for the entirety of the school year. By June the light from her eyes had gone out. Watching her go through this torment remains the most painful of my parenting experiences. One of my closest friends had a daughter who was way cooler than anyone else in 6th grade and knowing of Allie's plight, she planted a seed with her daughter who, over time, coaxed Allie into a different group of friends. Another friend who was always willing to listen had her daughter ,who was friends with the bullies, help from the inside of the group.
Friends save us in a myriad of ways. They open us up to worlds and wisdom we may not otherwise have been exposed to. They are our sounding boards, our cheerleaders and the sharers of life's greatest joys. They compel us to be our best selves. From friends I learned that to keep a confidence is truly a sacred trust, the ultimate respect; that to be the village for each other's children is an act of loyalty and protection that will never be forgotten; and that to show up, especially in times of stress and struggle and grief, is, as they say, 90% of life.
When I look in the mirror, of course, I recognize myself. But behind me I can count the friends who have accepted me for who I am and loved me, even when I hadn't yet figured out how to love myself. They have been the caretakers of my soul. Sandra Day O'Connor said, "We don't accomplish anything in this world alone...and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weaving of individual threads from one to another that creates something." Sounds pretty miraculous to me.