Little Women

Yesterday I drove home from work and couldn’t pull into my driveway for all the other cars. I went into the house and found Martha in the living room.

“What’s going on? Who’s here?”

“Jess’s boyfriend cheated on her.”

“Is she okay?”

“I don’t know, all the girls are in Peachie’s bedroom”

I knocked lightly on Peachie’s door and stuck my head in. There was Jess, Gianna, Carli, Liz and Peachie, all friends since they were 3 years old and went to pre-school together. There were wads of tissues all over the floor along with candy wrappers and everyone was on their cell phone. “You girls need anything?” Peachie gave me the sign that they had it covered.

I went back to the living room and to chat with Martha. Periodically someone came out of the room - “do you have more tissues?”, “a phonebook?”, “a hammer?” “ A hammer?” I asked. “Yep, she wants to smash the locket John gave her.”

At one point two of them came out and said they were going out to pick up more ice cream. More?

Later Peachie came out.

“What happened?”, I asked.

“Jess found out that not only did John cheat on her, but it has been going on for at least 8 months with three different girls!”

“Oh, boy. How is she doing”?

“Not good. We are going to drive her over to John’s so she can return his stuff”.

“You’re ALL going?”

“Yep. You f#ck with one of us you f#ck with us all.”

“Okay then. Be safe”


As they all left the house I was thinking about all the things these girls have been through together. All of each other’s birthday from little cake and ice cream parties to their Sweet 16s with buffets and DJs. Elementary school valentine angst and the drama of their first Middle School dance. The death of one girl’s parent and the unemployment of another. They have been there for each other through their athletic triumphs and failures, homework help, crushes, menstrual mishaps and clothing emergencies. When Peachie went to her boyfriend’s military ball last month they were all here. Four hours of hair and makeup help. And now, the inevitable heartaches.

There is something about female friendship. I am happy to see my daughters forming long lasting, healthy bonds. It makes me feel confident that even when I cannot be with them, they'll always have someone who's got their back.

I am reminded of this poem a friend sent me on a greeting card:

There’s nothing like my
women friends
launching straight into matters
of the
heart and soul
the moment
we’re alone.

We use
tears,
laughter
and wisdom
to cross entire
universes in moments,
always arriving back to where we
started - but never arriving home
completely the same.