You Put the Sugar in my Lollipop

   I was hanging out last night with my girlfriends. We were laughing and making fun of each other when I made a statement that I often make: My family may not be mentally adept, but we are awesome physical specimens. We live a lot longer than we actually need to! It's funny because we really don't know the ages of some of my aunts and uncles. They just keep on living. It makes me smile, but I also found myself thinking some deep thoughts about life on the drive home. So as the song goes, "This one's for the girls".

    There is this urban legend that I'm sure you have heard. The rumor is that girls always judge themselves then look around a room full of strangers to see who is "like" them, minus a point or two, and go make friends accordingly. In other words, women like to be around other women who are (almost) as pretty as they are. Evolutionarily speaking women want to be the prettiest so they can get first choice of mate. So I began thinking about my girlfriends...oh my. Okay, so I am their ugly duckling. I can handle this....maybe...okay in truth let's look at my good points. I can outrun them when I insult them and I can totally walk and chew gum at the same time. I know the best authors and can hold conversations about major rock bands of the 1980's. I also have good jewelry.
    I, believe it or not,  was in the car alone so I had 15 minutes of free thinking time. How my mind wandered. It wandered to the girls who have had to read things to me when my brain just couldn't make out the words. It wandered to the girls who call me late at night when I was already in bed but couldn't sleep because the anxiety of being alone was just too much. It wandered to the girls who trust me with their kids.
   I began to consider what I got out of all these relationships. I will gladly be the ugly duckling if I get to create this beautiful web of friendship that will one day catch my own girls. My girls grow up with great thinkers, artists, environmental educators, health care providers, teachers, musicians, and charity workers. Not all of my girlfriend have babies, but you'd never guess it by how they treat my girls. It just comes naturally to them. My girls have movie dates with my friends. They get ready for prom with my friends. They lunch with my friends. The real lesson that my girls learn is that girlfriends are so much more important than sleep, boys, or even food.
   
   I have no idea how long I am here for, I have no idea if that 'outlive your expiration date' curse will have and hold me, but I know that if I have to leave my girls tomorrow that they have people who love them and who will catch them in this beautiful web. Thank you to all those girls.