The Birthday Club: Enduring Friendships

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“Why did you do all this for me?” he asked. “I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for you.’
You have been my friend,’ replied Charlotte. ‘That in itself is a tremendous thing.”
― E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web

A good friend is hard to find…but is there for you through good times and bad.  They see  you at your best and your worst, and they like you anyway.

I’ve been lucky in friendship.  I’ve made some wonderful friends throughout the years.  Some of those friends came about through my children, others through work, others through running or workout groups, and other random places.   Friends come in and out of our lives for a reason.  Sometimes the friendships endure, sometimes they don’t.

 

 

But for the past 8 + years, I have been doing birthday dinners with a group of 6 other women.  That’s about 56 dinners.  I honestly don’t even remember how it started or even how we all became friends.  Our kids probably initially were a factor, but for the most part they are in different activities and don’t necessarily even run in the same circle of friends at this point. But with this group, it was never based on the kids.

 

Somehow we all just clicked.  Outside of the group, we all have our own circles of friends as well.  But we’ve never added to the group, and no one has ever left.  It works perfectly the way it is, and we don’t mess with it.

 

I could tell some stories…but I won’t.  As the saying goes, “what happens in Vegas, stays in  Vegas”…the same goes for our group.  We’re pretty loud at our birthday dinners and no topic is taboo.  It makes for some interesting conversations…and interesting arguments as well!  But when you’re among people who you know aren’t judging you, you don’t worry about speaking your mind.  Some of us have weathered some pretty difficult times and the group has always been there.  It’s nice to know that if you’re going through a rough patch, someone has your back.  As Charlotte from Charlotte’s Web says above, “You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing.”  She’s right.