Bonding

We moved here in mid-January but we haven't really set down roots yet. Being that I lived in the same town all my life and then went to college with several friends, this is the first time I have really had to intentionally set down roots.

    I forgot for a while just how much I need people. Hank is great but I need some girl time every once in a while. I need to talk about music, art, calories and the annoying fact that fat cells never disappear... I need to work on projects and talk about life and the chit chatty, knitty gritty that makes up most female conversations.

   Today I came home from work, went to get a haircut and then got a text saying a group of ladies was getting together to work on wedding projects for the pastors daughter who is soon to be wed. Since Hank was having coffee with the pastor and another guy from church, it just made sense to go.

     It took a while to mesh with some of these ladies I had never met but soon we were laughing and talking and crafting. A deep part of me that had been holding its breath just let it out in one, big, wonderful woosh! Soon I had an invitation to the wedding (for a girl I have met once) and had promised that I would work and decorate and wash dishes because I remember all the wonderful people who helped make my wedding wonderful. And I shared secrets I learned from our wedding-like how you can use museum puddy instead of hot glue to hold stuff down and I got to brainstorm about decorations and design and I felt so totally in my element.

It was pretty great.

So I am thinking I will make this a tradition. You know- girl time. Because I heard today that couples should have something outside the marriage to focus on. If all my focus is on Hank- well, quite frankly- he is going to get pretty boring. If he is all I talk about, the only one I talk to, then we are both missing out. We need other people to challenge us, sharpen us, enlighten us with their life stories. We need sisters and brothers who 'get' the struggles and challenges unique to our gender.

   Today I am thankful for the beginnings on friendship and the potential for deepening relationships with some pretty great people.