Being Brave Enough to Say Yes to Each Other

@bethvogt

I had a belated birthday party a few days ago.

I gathered together a group of my special friends, who agreed to dress up and go out to dinner. My friend, Mary, even supplied me with a pink “Birthday Girl” sash, which ensured I was covered in glitter for most of the night.

My husband was involved, but only as the driver of the 12-passenger van (in lieu of a limo). He wore his tuxedo T-shirt and ferried all 11 of us back and forth to Carlo’s Bistro, where we spent several hours savoring absolutely scrumptious food and good conversation.

The funny thing is, the celebration that night wasn’t about me. My friends might argue about this. And yes, they did sing a beautiful rendition of “Happy Birthday” to me, right before I blew out a single candle decorating a delicious dish of crème brûlée.

Some of my friends knew each other. Some didn’t. Some friendships spanned decades. Some friendships are only a few years old.

And that is what was celebrated: friendships. How our lives, our stories, have intersected and blended into a richer, deeper story all its own.

I often say a girl needs her girlfriends. One of the things I’ve tried to teach my daughters is the value of true friendships, where we allow each other to be our honest selves, and that changes us for the better.

I am who I am today because of the influence of each one of the women who dressed up and joined me for a meal a few days ago.

One of the things I looked forward to the most was the opportunity to introduce each woman, sharing a bit of “our” story – the briefest glimpse of our friendship.

• My friend Renee and I met when we were both pregnant with our first child. We were due at the same time. My son was born the day before her daughter.
• My friend, Fran? Our families were stationed at not one, but two different military bases together. The first time I met her, she smiled at me and I thought, “I could be friends with her.” I’m so thankful I was right.
• My friends Gianna and Starry moved past being volleyball moms, choosing to talk about real life, instead of staying within the comfort zone of talking about game times and out-of-state tournaments.

Each memory signified the same thing: we’d said yes to each other. We’d been willing to include each other in our lives. To make space for one another. We’d chosen to risk being known.

And in doing so, our stories merged. It’s impossible to separate who I am from these friends because they’ve taught me so much. About life. Faith. Marriage. Motherhood. Courage. Perseverance. Laughter.

The evening was a celebration of gratitude – an opportunity to be with women I am so thankful for because I am a better “me” because of them. Could we have done the same thing in jeans and T-shirts, while drinking coffee and tea? Sure.

But sometimes … sometimes we need to take the time to celebrate the good things in our lives. And, as the saying goes, we need to recognize the best things aren’t “things” – they’re people.

***

It’s always fun to celebrate a book release with a giveaway! Enter the Thatcher Sisters’ Favorite Things Giveaway from May 12- 19, 2019 for a chance to win prizes worth $200! The Grand Prize package includes:

• Signed hardcover copies of Things I Never Told You and Moments We Forget, books one and two in my Thatcher Sisters series
• a Power of Hope bracelet by artisan Lisa Leonard
• a $50 NFL online store gift card
• a Colorado sunset print by photographer Lars Lieber
• the board game CodeNames

Three additional winners will receive signed copies of Moments We Forget. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway