the power of girlfriends

this past wkend feels like a dream. well, the past month, really! this past wkend though, was especially poignant. i had the priviledge of spending it [thanks to the most understanding husband in the world] with "my girls," "my posse"...and we had a great time! never mind that the wkend flew by on the wings of laughter [so much that we teared up laughing!] and adventure [11 wineries in napa AND a jaunt through san francisco!]...what got me the most was when i woke up this morning to a misty gray sky and silence...joo was gone. the wkend was over. her visit had ended. and then i cried. not for a long time, but for a bit. and as i got ready for the day, my mind wandered to images and memories from our time together and i got emotional again, but for a different reason. i realized that i'm at a place i never thought i'd ever be again. i'm at a place where i have girlfriends who i feel free to trust. and a feeling of immense gratitude just washed over me. i remembered the verse in the Bible that says something about God restoring the years the locusts have eaten [i don't remember it exactly], and it dawned on me that perhaps that's what He has slowly been doing for me. though i never dared to explicitly ask for it, it was always a plea hidden in my heart. so i found myself thankful today, in the midst of the rain and dreary color outside...thankful for the women in my life...for certain women in particular who, unbeknownst to them, have contributed to the restoration of my heart simply by being an active part of my life, and by allowing me to be a part of theirs. i really can't ask for better girlfriends.