Five on Friday: Girls’ Weekend is Here!

Do you love our blog? We do!

Well, I can only speak for myself, but so far, it has provided Lynn and me with a great opportunity to collaborate, to brainstorm ideas, and to express our creative selves. In fact, I think it keeps us feeling close despite living several hundred miles apart. The physical distance is one reason we’ve been looking forward to our annual Girls’ Weekend, officially starting today!!

In honor of Girls’ Weekend, here are five great quotes about friendship.

1. In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. — Albert Schweitzer
   
2. I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar. — Robert Brault
   
3. Instead of loving your enemies – treat your friends a little better. — Edward W. Howe
   
4. Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. — Marcel Proust
   
5. It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
   

This year is our second annual Girls’ Weekend, and I know that it’s something we should continue to do whenever we can. The first quote about friendship speaks to me because lately I’ve been struggling to keep that inner fire burning, especially when it comes to balancing writing, parenting, and the other responsibilities of everyday life. That To-Do list just keeps getting longer, and my inner voice is shouting, “time out!” At last year’s get-together, I found that a simple weekend of doing nothing important except hanging out with two childhood friends did so much to rejuvenate me. I felt at peace the whole weekend.

We had plenty of options for things to do, but we didn’t feel compelled to stick to a particular plan if something better came along or if we were too tired to do anything at all. It was just the right amount of activity and relaxation. I ate some of the best food I’ve ever had and sipped fruity cocktails on the beach. We chatted about our current lives, reminisced about being kids together, and caught each other up on what we’d been doing during the occasional stretches when we fell out of touch. We were content just to be in the moment.

Sure, most of us are busy, but making that commitment to find time for our friends is so important. Now we look forward to our annual “break” from our everyday lives. We might have to do some re-arranging (and negotiation with spouses) to schedule Girls’ Weekend on our calendars, but the main point is that we’re there for each other.

I find the quote by Marcel Proust about being grateful to be inspiring. Friends don’t even have to do much; just knowing that they’re there can make us happy. It’s so easy to complain about what’s wrong every day that we often forget to acknowledge what is right in the world. Research shows that people who express gratitude are happier, and good friends are certainly something worth our gratitude. So go ahead, call your BFF and tell her!

And that last quote about being stupid with old friends, well, game on! Lynn and I are the oldest of friends and next week we’ll let you know what kinds of mischief we were up to for Girls’ Weekend.

Is it strange that I chose quotes that were written by men when thinking about Girls’ Weekend? Well, friends are friends and, while I think that women bond in different ways from men, we all (men and women alike) can look back some day with fond memories on the ways that good friends have enhanced our lives. If we’re lucky.

Tell us about your friendships. How do you keep them strong, especially if there’s a great distance between you?