Girlfriends

I love my friends. Many of my friends are like family to me...whom I also love dearly I might add. This weekend we celebrated a momentous accomplishment of one of my dearest sista-friends....we will call her Dr. K. Dr.K recently successfully defended her dissertation and is the proud owner of one of the highest achievements academia can bestow. I have long admired my friend Dr. K for her sharp wit, agile mind, strong faith and boundless altruism. She has the biggest heart and the smallest ego of anyone I know. I know a lot of folks, and she is by far one of the most gifted of the bunch.

The thing that makes Dr. K so special is her humility. To see her walking down a local hood near you, you would never make her out for the Ivy League Alumna that she is. She loves hip-hop, would lay down her life for one the kids she works with, has a spray painted mural on her garage wall and can rock a pair of Chuck Taylor's fresher than the rest! While I totally respect her intellect, it is her simple down to earth- round the way girlness which makes me love her. The way she welcomes people from all walks of life into her fold and the way she does not separate herself, despite her myriad accomplishments, from others.

When I think about it, that is what makes me love all of my friends - the common thread of relate-a-bility that they have been able to maintain,no matter their accomplishments or stations in life. Doctors, Teacher's, Stay at Home Moms, Secretaries, Bus Drivers, Janitors, Security Guards, Strippers (yes, I said strippers), Lawyers, Postal workers, Nurses, Business owners and hustlers ...whatever...get a bunch of my girlfriends in the same room and you would hardly be able to tell the Doctor from the Bus driver. Why? Because of our experience and upbringing - my girls know that it is really but for the grace of God that we have achieved what we have.

Further, we realize that it is because of our shared experiences that we are greater as a whole than what any one of us is individually. When I need legal advice, I know who to call. When I need my hair braided, I know who will direct me to THE best shoppes from DC to Harlem. When I am trying to make heads or tails of Big Shug's "new math" homework, I ain't said nothin' but a word and one of my super sista girls are on the j-o-b.

I am blessed to have girlfriends, with whom I can stay gratis, all over the country....at least in the parts that I really enjoy visiting. I even have one in Minneapolis whom I love dearly, but have not seen in too long....you know who you are girl- love ya still-smile. I have girlfriends for all occasions, ones I can cry with, ones I am super silly with, ones I shop with, ones I spa with, ones I travel with, ones I eat with (wait, that would apply to them ALL....lol), ones I consult with and ones I speak to maybe once a year, but with whom my bond is so solid -- we pick right up no matter when we last spoke. There are groups of us that gather for birthday's, holidays....shit, Wednesdays!

I love each and every one of my true girl friends and celebrate their successes as if they were my own.

With all that said, I think now would be a good time for a public apology. I started off writing this post in celebration of one of my girls, and it seems to have evolved into a post for them all. But, it is all good, because I do feel like I owe them all a collective "I am sorry".

You see, I have a very bad habit of not keeping in touch like I should. I have had far too many friends say to me recently.." I miss you...could you at least answer when I call....when are we going to get together...i just want to know that you are ok." I want each of you to know, from the bottom of my heart, I love, respect and admire you. I am so proud of you and I think of you and your families often. I too wonder how you are doing and I must get better at keeping in touch consistently. I have no excuses, only a sincere prayer that you will charge my infrequent communique to my head and not my heart.

You all have played such integral roles in supporting, encouraging, checking and motivating me. You have often been my strength and my shelter and I thank God for your presence in my life. Many of you I have known since grammar school and like Cephas and Reecee from living color, "we still together!"...smile.

So, in closing I want to give a big shout out and lots of love to the newly appointed Dr. K.....the babies in Brick City need you mama------keep up the good work. To my other bus drivin', diaper changin', company runnin', medicine givin', therapy providin', guidance counselorin', deal brokerin, Michele Obama lovin', ride or die Chica's, where ever you are, I know you are holding it down, doing your best, representing to the fullest and I am so very proud of you all for doing so......I am blessed to be a part of such a sister-hood. I am a better person because of you all.

Peace & Blessings,

She who never returns calls.....