LIVING LIFE

My new favorite nail polish color is called Let’s Be Friends. Unlike most polish names which reflect something about the actual color, this very subtle pale pink shade does not seem to fit its name. If I created a polish with friendship in mind, it would be bright, glittery, and definitely not subtle.

I consider myself very lucky to have so many wonderful friends -the majority of these interesting and eclectic relationships have lasted over 30 years and two have passed the 50 year mark. I have added several new friendships this past year, and I am so grateful for these smart, hysterically funny women. As I write this I can almost hear Cyndi Lauper singing ”Girls Just Want to Have Fun”. If you have never heard this song, just know that she is the woman with lavender hair in the psoriasis commercial and start reading blogs written by someone much younger than me.
Friendships are often begun from shared life experiences. Our children’s schools, soccer games, and our husband’s ex-wives have given us numerous opportunities for friendships. Well, maybe not so much in that last category.

One of the most important life lessons that I have learned is that good friends will always be there for you. I met one of my dearest friends while were both navigating divorces. Whenever one of us was headed down the rabbit hole, the other one would come up with a one liner which ended with both of us in fits of laughter. We once spent hours laughing and almost peeing in our pants while planning an imaginary dating board game. It was based on our less than stellar post-divorce dating experiences (most of which involved four letter words). Our impractical and ridiculous conversations kept us both somewhat sane. For 33 years we supported each other through everything from serious medical issues to bad haircut issues. The bigger the problem, the more comically insane we became. To this day, I clearly remember a trip to Macy’s where we both tried on the same light blue pantsuit. We came out of our dressing rooms at exactly the same time and proceeded to imitate the famous I Love Lucy mirror episode with Harpo Marx and Lucy. It is amazing that we were not asked to leave the store due to the loud and uncontrollable laughter that emanated from us. It was kind of Like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in a department store.

This post is for all of the wonderful friends who are a part of my life. I think there should be a friendship vow, kind of like a wedding vow, but in many cases longer lasting. “I will be your friend through laughter and tears, in sickness and in health, through PMS and menopause.” One significant difference is that after taking these vows, everyone goes shopping at Macy’s.

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