Feasting
on
Friendship

I don't know how many times I've stood at this street corner, but tonight I found myself enjoying it more than ever.


The five of us spent the night inside a local café laughing our way through an "all you can eat" seafood dinner. It was BYOB and so we did, but the wine only slightly accounted for our light hearted spirits.

We're close friends, all women who raised daughters together and who've already begun to experience the loss of loved ones. We're in sync with each other's lives and keep a close watch for anyone or anything that's out of step with the right intention.

We meet the first Thursday of each month, and for almost the entire night, the chatter is so disjointed that any onlooker would think it incomprehensible. It's anything but that to us.

Our favorite saying is, "This goes in the vault" which of course is the prelude to any truly personal revelation. And believe me, that's where it goes and stays. Or as we joke, "Don't worry. By tomorrow, I won't remember what you said."

I'm the oldest, but the others aren't far behind, and we make every attempt to find humor in the physiological changes of our maturing bodies. It never fails, one of us is always hot while someone else is shivering in a chill. We share the same reading glasses and squint to read the fine print on the menu.

There's not a pretentious woman at this table, and while we certainly enjoy lively topics, mean spirited gossip isn't one of them. We'll giggle at anything, even the saddest part of our lives. And advice always accompanies dessert ... whether you like it or not.

If we get bruised or hurt, this table is the place to find first aid. And when life gets as tough as it can possibly get, we go no further than this small group to find strength and support.

Just about to open my car door, I could still hear them laughing in the background. This blissful Fall night in Waxahachie I drove slowly through the downtown streets, then rounded the old courthouse a time or two just so I could feel the warmth of their friendship one last time before heading home.