Soul Sisters

Sometimes life places people in your life who are family, not by blood but by soul. I am fortunate to have girlfriends who have remained steadfast friends throughout the years since childhood. This year I will be turning 39, and I met some of these girlfriends when I was in elementary school. We’ve lived close and hung out daily, and we’ve moved apart so we may only see each other once or twice a year. But when we get together it feels like nothing has changed.

Life has taken us in different directions, and we’ve started our own families. We are experiencing new and different things, making new friends, and our perspectives on life continue to evolve. But one thing remains true — we share a deepness of love for each other. I know who these women are to their core, and even as the world tries to tear people, families, and communities apart, we continue to show up for each other and remember what’s important. It is important to be there for one another — to share our hopes, dreams, and fears, and to continue to pour encouragement into each other. We build each other up and do not tear each other down.

We have petty discrepancies that we may bicker over (we are a group of girls, of course), but at the end of the day, we want each other to succeed and prosper. We truly want to see each other happy and thriving, and it hurts us when we see each other in pain. Connection is vital to who we are as humans, and I feel fortunate to have friends in my life who I deeply trust and can count on. I know I can turn to these women with my deepest concerns and they will be there with advice, guidance, and any other support I may need. I am lucky for that. I hope we continue to build these bonds and that they truly remain lifelong friends because they are my chosen family. And as one friend said, “we need our village.”