Girlfriends Happy Hour

Note: This post was put up at the same time as the one entitled, "Confidential." They are two interesting experiences both on the topic of friendship and trust and connection.

The Girlfriends Happy Hour seems to have taken hold for real. My desire for connection set my feet on this path a year ago. Thanks to a suggestion from my sister that I model a group after one she and her best friend inadvertently created themselves, I seized her idea and ran with it.

Our group has been going strong since May and it's now mid-November. We've enjoyed other gatherings and events outside the happy hour which demonstrates our expansiveness and our cohesiveness. Out of it all I have been blessed with many wonderful new friends and several who have become particularly close and special.

It still seems that people generally look to me to rally the troops and remind people of events and post events and even plan and schedule events, but I am definitely working on reminding them all that I am merely facilitating a group that belongs to everybody. I am not the boss of anybody, and I want to keep it that way.

Truly I can reflect on life exactly a year ago and life now. Life now is absolutely beautiful. Not perfect, which is fine because imperfect adds a little interest, and keeps things from being to routine or boring.

What I really needed at this time last year was to feel secure in my friendships; to feel loved by my friends and trusted by them. Now, those things are true.

I think I would add though that there's another realization I keep having which has been an unexpected gift out of all of this. It is that I think that nearly all of the women who come to the Girlfriends Happy Hour are feeling the same thing I am. I think they are all reflecting on what it is to have this connection with this group and each other. I think they recognize that without even anticipating that this would happen, we've succeeded in creating a very loving, safe, and welcoming circle of people who are each there for one another.

Above all of the great things that I feel about this group, I definitely feel most proud of all of us for succeeding together in building what we have and what we are. Because honestly none of us could have done it by ourselves. This group is the product of everybody's intention and commitment.

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