My true love gave to me....
Da Girls
Brace yourself -- this one is a long post, and possibly a tear-jerker. [Mascara alert!]
I honestly think that I'm one of those lucky women who was born without sisters, so that when I grew up I would search them out and pick my own. And they know who they are, but for the rest of my blog-o-sphere: in the order we met, the ladies are Heather, Kirsten, Kim and Jill.
Good Grief! I don't even know where to start, to tell you what these women mean to me. They are my sounding board, my safety valve, my sanity when I'm at the end of my rope. They can talk me "in from the ledge" as well as talk me into buying that really cute pair of shoes, or a great scrapbook gadget. [Oh wait!I'm usually the one talking them into buying the scrapbooking stuff....That's why they call me "the Enabler"! ] They have let me cry on their shoulders and they have cried on mine. We have shared so much of our lives, to such an extent, that we know each other better than some of our relatives do. In time of need or time of joy, these are the people I call first. They are my speed-dials.
Since I don't actually have a photo of all of us together, as we do operate on different schedules, I'll slip in a few timely photos:
Heather, AKA Mrs. H
I met Heather almost 5 years ago as a result of our scrapbooking addiction. We were the two core members in a monthly crop group, so we ended up getting to know each other because for three hours monthly, we were the only ones present & talking. She's boosted me up through all the adoption drama, and then the subsequent post-adoption trauma-dramas. When I started doing medical examiner work & needed to practice blood draws, she volunteered to be my guinea pig. She takes credit for getting me hooked on the Twilight series, although I've carried that to an extreme on my own, thank you very much! Her daughter is a couple years ahead of Tabitha, and I find myself using her as my developmental touchstone; i.e her daughter started liking blue at age 10, got pierced ears at 10, contacts at 11, etc. Of the local four of us, Heather is the organizer. She keeps us in line & desperately tries to keep us focused. [Although as soon as the wine is open, that's a losing battle....] When I was hospitalized with my pulmonary emboli, she visited me every day in the hospital & brought Coca-Cola offerings with her. She is my reality check and more often than not makes me realize that I'm harder on myself than anyone else is. I love that she's addicted to all things fleur-de-lis and Louisiana, and that she let her husband decorate their den in LSU gold & purple. It makes me sad that one day they want to retire to Louisiana, but I guess that means she better have an awesome guest room!
Love ya' H!!
Kirsten, AKA Mrs. K
[Although is some earlier posts I interchange Mrs K with Ms. K....Call it editorial license!]
OK. For starters, this photo makes me laugh because my baby is so badly wrapped. I promise I know how to do better than that and that I didn't always have the sloppy babies. Also, K & I didn't agree to wear the same color shirt; just worked out that way. This was Valentine's Day 2006, so I guess we both just "think pink"!
Moving right along....
I had the pleasure of meeting Kirsten in November 2004. She came to shadow me for a day at the newborn nursery group to see if she'd like to join us. We hit it off that day in spades! And I actively set out to recruit her. "SCORE! " was how it felt the day I knew she'd taken the job. Whew -- Have we covered some ground since Spring 2005 or what!?! She's up to four kids and I'm at one. We won't even count critters nor job changes. But through it all, when I need to talk to another physician/pediatrician I trust her implicitly. We'll brainstorm about interesting patients. We'll review outcomes. She is my closest clinical sounding-board. She was a scrapbooker when we met, but we've definitely encouraged each other to branch out & try new creative endeavors, including photography & sewing. I cheered her on to dip into blogging and she's bolstered my flagging confidence as I build my locum tenems practice. The process of medical training tempers you as an individual and only another physician can fully relate to the sacrifices and choices made to do this job, and at that level Kirsten is one of the few people in the world who really "gets me". I love that even though she lives 4 hours away now, when we do see each other we pick up right where we left off. We try to talk weekly on the phone, but calls vary depending on family & work demands. Kirsten is my fellow creative braniac.
Love ya' K!!
Kim, AKA Ms. K
I met Kim in August 2006 and after just a few weeks I knew we would be close friends for life. She has seen me at some of my lowest lows and highest highs. When I had crushing chest pain at 2:30am on an August morning, after I woke Michael up and EMS was en-route, Kim was the next person I wanted near by. Without hesitation she was at our house and consoled Tabitha as I was taken to the ER. Other than clothes & shoes [due to size differences -- I'm Gulliver remember!!], there's probably not much that we don't share in our lives. She's my fellow crafting junkie; my fashion re-styler; and my fellow Twilighter. She's taught me everything from "how to use peanut butter to get bubble gum out of Tabitha's hair" to "how to buy a bra" and lots more in between. If Heather is our Organizer, then Kim is our Energetic Dreamer. She's the one who wanted to start going to scrap retreats and Heather's the one that searched out the go-to crops. It amazes me how much enthusiasm is packaged up into such a tiny person. I can be exhausted and flopped on the couch, but get Kim going and the momentum will even get me, Mrs Inertia, on the move!
K! Love ya' more than you know!!
And last, but hardly least is Jill, AKA Mrs. J
She is the newest to our group. I met her about 15 months ago. She is just slightly older than me, by about 6 months, but much more young at heart! I'd classify her as a "Rev, Rev, Va-Room" Girl. She decides on a goal and she decisively accomplishes it. I love that she is so confident and doesn't tolerate any grief. I feel a little bit braver just being around her. [And those who know me well, know that I identify much more strongly with the Cowardly Lion than the Scarecrow -- "avoid conflict at all costs"...] She brings wisdom & counsel to our group in ways we haven't even experienced yet. Kim & Heather are slowly working to bring her "into the scrapbooking fold" and I'm just on the sidelines for moral support when she needs it! I am looking forward to many more years experiencing this friendship develop. [And I promise to get a better picture of us - Tabitha took this one and it was all I had to work with!]
J, I know it's been just a short time for us, but it's been intense! Love ya!!
So there you have it. These girls are my peeps, my support group, my sisters and I love that they accept me unconditionally, flaws and all. I couldn't make it without ya'll!














