Eight is Enough

This weekend represents another in a long line of nearly annual visits with essential women I have known and loved for many years. We went to high school together. Factions of us were close at the same time or different, forming and reforming units like marching band formations. About 9 years ago we started emailing regularly. There is rarely a day in all these years that there is not an email from one of us. We are resolutely supportive. We are loyal. We are tough. We don't mind saying "hey, stop it, you deserve to be treated better," "girl, you look good," "go for it, you are smart and the capable," and even "you better pull your head outta' your ass."

We have buried brothers, mothers and fathers. Even a child. We have been married, divorced, remarried or are currently looking for love. Promotions, changes, moves, hormones, surgeries. Darkness, despair, floating, happy, light. Often things are shitty for many of at at once. Always we are happy to be together even when there are tears, fears and tension. There is no competion only accolades. There is no putting yourself down, only getting lifted up.

And I bring joy to all with my dancing.

Angie put it very well in a blog post that ends like this

     "So the stars lined up for us, doors were opened that had previously been slammed shut and all eight of  us will be there to laugh and cry, to expose our outer beauty and our inner demons. If you feel the earth shift a bit in mid-July, don't worry, it's just Tina giving everyone a good hard mushing.

     I need these women like a horny dog needs a leg to hump. I want to grab on and never let go (figuratively of course)."