Girlfriends: A Fearless Celebration

Today I went to a friends birthday gathering with her nearest and dearest girlfriends. She was celebrating 7 decades orbiting around the sun. Amazing! This gathering was in our mountain community where we have our cabin. It's a very small community. The good news is that everyone knows each other. The bad news is that everyone knows each other.

My friend Sarah, whose birthday it was, gathered about 10 women in her living room. In just the right organized way that is so Sarah, she asked for everyone's attention and gathered us in a (somewhat) of a circle. Of course it was a group of very strong wise fearless women so you can't really wrangle them. However, Sarah pulled out her list of names of friends dear to her, many were not there as they didn't want to brave the freeway from LA through the snowy Grapevine on Interstate 5 to our mountain destination. So here we were sipping on our Godiva hot chocolate and listening to Sarah name off everyone on the list and in the room and how they made a difference in her life.

 

I looked around at each woman mentioned and realized how much history I have had with these wise women who have impacted not only Sarah's life but mine as well. I was genuinely touched by the ritual she created. I was moved by the stories, laughed at many and teared up at others.

It affirmed my passion for photographing women and telling their stories. How powerful and precious are the relationships with our girlfriends. Those moments we can celebrate our sisters are priceless. It's simple heartfelt and inspirational.

I invite you to call at least one friend tomorrow and tell her how much she means to you. Doesn't that make you feel fearlessly warm and fuzzy?

Yours feeling fearlessly warm, and loving my girlie friends and hot chocolate,

Mary Ann