Recently I had the chance to spend some time with some new friends. And I am sharing this story with you about the evening, because of what I learned and felt afterwards, not because of the story so much.
A friend from an LGBTQ+ group at my church graduated with her Master’s in Special Education. You know who you are, and again, congratulations. Her husband prepared an amazing meal, and there were other family and friends there.
After dinner, we broke out Cards Against Humanity. As we were playing the Pride edition, it was even more entertaining. But when I think about it now, I started having the really “cut-loose” kind of fun when I started to get some cards that I found were so funny I wasn’t able to read them. And I don’t drink.
Over the course of the next hour or so, every time it came my turn to read the cards and pick the winner, it almost felt like a competition to see who could make me laugh.
It was on my way home that I realized I was filled with friendship and love. And that I couldn’t remember the last time when I experienced that uninhibited laughter and joy. There was no telling me I was overreacting, or asking what was so funny, or that it wasn’t that funny.
Just pure joy.
By the time I got home I felt like I had been floating down the Friendship River. These amazing people like me. They don’t care about how I look that day. They don’t care if I show up in shorts and tank top or heels and a skirt (although heels and a skirt are more likely).
They are here to help me through my down days. And they have. I would do almost anything for them. Almost anything because I am not giving up my skirts and heels.
I hope you have those people in your life where you can be that free with. Where you know there is someone who has your back when you need them, even when you don’t know you need them.
To my friends; thank you. We were there to celebrate a graduation.
But I got the gift.
