Eight years ago, we left our home land and moved to a new country. The first few days flew by in unpacking and settling down. In the evenings I would take the children to the play area and there, I met this woman, who gave me a warm smile. I smiled back and we chit-chatted for a bit. As I got more familiar with the place, I started exploring the complex, varying my evening walking route every day.
Every evening, my smile-friend and a group of 7-8 women would sit and talk by the pool side. I envied them their camaraderie; they would laugh, talk and entertain their children. I would stop to say hello sometimes. Their conversations would stop midway, not because I was intruding, but because they did not know what to say to me; neither did I, for that matter. Slowly, I became familiar with their faces and their apartment numbers; I guess they got used to seeing me around.
After about a few months, on another one of my evening strolls, they called out to me to come and sit with them. Slowly but surely, I was accepted into the group. I took my baby steps in friendship, trusting a totally new group of people, inviting them over, going to their homes, and finally grasped the dynamics of this group of eleven beautiful women.
That was eight years ago. These women are my best friends now; we totally rock as a group. We are so attuned to each other that just mere glances at each other can set us off into peals of laughter. We are different people from different backgrounds & cultures, but our value-systems are the same. We can laugh together, cry together, shop together, eat together, and tease each other. We can call each other at any time of the day or night just for a good girlie-talk. We are the queens of impromptu potlucks and lunches and surprise birthday parties. We rag our husbands, nag our children and brag to each other about what good moms we are.
We have been there for each other, when some of us lost our Dads or Moms; when the children were in medical emergencies, when we just wanted to call each other because we were low. We meet often with our families, and it is a pleasure to see our children growing up and creating the early bonds of friendship, which we hope will blossom into lasting relationships.
We know each other’s tastes, likes and dislikes. We can argue without being misunderstood. We are so comfortable together, that we are already planning out how we can all age gracefully, and retire together, maybe in the same city. We have a chat group that beeps 24 x 7. Our conversations continue non-stop, now in person, now on the phone, now on chat & sometimes back again on the phone.
Some of these beautiful women have moved to other countries and cities, some of them have gone and come back. However, nothing changes in the group. We are truly friends for life, irrespective of where we are physically.
These 11 beautiful women give me stability and love, they walk with me when I am down, accept me as I am and give generously of their time, whenever I need it.
Thank you my dear friends.
Simple Moments of Life 