To All My Ladies

One of my most favorite things about my life is I have never been without companionship. No, I am not one of those girls who always has a boyfriend. I am one of those girls who “dates” her female friends! Therefore, I have never been without someone to call on speed dial to share my triumphs, a cup of tea to sip on while I share my heartache, and growth through the keen observations of another. I am so lucky!

All my life, I have known the most wonderful women! My friends have been my beacons, my road maps, my soul mates. Each of my close girlfriends has mirrored back to me such a beautiful version of myself when I look in their eyes. I can truly say I would not be half as confident as I am today if I wasn’t inspired by the boldness, ambition, and beautiful spirits of my ladies.

So, as Women’s Month comes to an end, I would like to personally thank each of the gorgeous women in my life. I will not put names, but I am fairly certain, oh friends of past and present, you will know who you are. I hope you recognize my gratitude for the unique gifts you have brought to my life. So, in no particular order. . .

Thank you for teaching me perseverance and that it’s funny how people will first notice your smile and laughter above anything else. Thank you for showing me that loving unabashedly is the only way to go. Thank you for setting such an example of a self-made woman that I couldn’t help but follow for a while. Thank you for FUN. Thank you for sharing your musical talent with me and thoughtfulness I could only hope to achieve. Thank you for teaching me to never forget the kid in me and showing me that the world can be my playground. I hope we meet somewhere over the rainbow again. Thank you for showing me refinement, dignity, and cool calmness in a chaotic place. You will always be family. Thank you for showing me it’s okay to appreciate things solely for their beauty. You seem to find beauty wherever you go (even in me). I hope your refinement rubs off on me. Thank you for creativity, kindness, and revealing slowly that there is more to you than meets the eye. Thank you for freely sharing your tenderness. You will never be able to be anything than who you are and I love that! Your humor and honesty are so refreshing. Thank you for your insane sense of humor and jokes that never get old. Thank you for a deep appreciation of nature and your ability to put a positive spin on most anything and everything—and god knows, we have discussed most everything. Never lose your tenacious spirit. I count on it. Thank you for teaching me what it means to be mature even though you are years younger than me and for wearing your beauty in the most admirable way. You’re a hero and don’t forget it, Super Woman. Thank you for laughs, inane goofiness, and the service you have given the world. Thank you for your pureness of heart. I only "knew" you for four months and I know you better than friends I've had for years. Thank you for your belief in my creativity. We will be design partners one day! Thank you for loving me like a sister when all I saw was awkwardness. What amazing women we have become! Thank you for the laughs you gave me. You refreshed my soul when it was in a really murky place. Thank you for being down to earth and reminding me that fun is very important. I couldn’t get through the grind without you. Thank you for your funkiness and how fabulous I feel when I am near you. Thank you for being my hetero life partner, my support, and a true constant in my life. Your example is a standard I hold myself to. Thank you for your free spirit and vast depths. Thank you for fierce loyalty many years later. May our friendship last a life-time. Thank you for believing in me and my art. Thank you for your positivity despite what is happening in your life and your quirkiness. I look forward to the future of our friendship. Thank you for your confidence, sexiness, and your drive. It is contagious. Thank you for showing me the beauty of simple dreams. Thank you for sharing an intelligent mind I can’t imagine having. Thank you for giving me life, my creativity, your creativity, and unwavering love and support. You are my biggest fan and I don’t know how I would get through life without my own personal cheering section. Thank you for your sense of humor. Can anyone else tell a story the way you do? Thank you for showing me what it means to be hard-working, taking care of me in a foreign country, and seriously making me want to wet my pants with laughter. Thank you for showing me what it means to have unwavering faith. Thank you for speaking so candidly with me and never letting our differences come between us. Thank you for always believing in love even when it beat you up and left you in a gutter. I knew it would eventually raise you up. I wish you knew how cool you are.

And, I guess that last line goes for all of you!

“Experience the joy and the adventure of being the woman who is beyond the image reflected in the mirror.” –Paulo Coehlo