Ladies' Night

Tonight was Ladies' Night. Ladies' Night is always the first Thursday night of each month (unless something comes up) and it is at different location each month. Now don't get too excited...for the average person Ladies' Night would probably be filled with Margaritas, loud music, and prowling for men, but not for us! For us it is more like sweet tea (water with lemon for them) loud laughter, and slamming our men (only because we love you so much guys!) Most people I know, know that Ladies' Night is the Thursday of each month but they don't really understand it. Let me just say that words can never describe Ladies' Night. There is a certain chemistry, almost a special spirit among the 3 of us. We come together for a few hours and then we disappear back to our normal lives. We seldom call each other or get together outside of Ladies' Night. No we are not witches but we have been known to conjure some craziness. We are unlikely friends. That is a person that you NEVER would have thought you would have been friends with. My one unlikely friend was Cheryl. I first met her when started teaching. For a long list of reasons (which she will fuss at me if I discuss) she intimidated me terribly. Five or six years later we were on a plane together going to see another friend who had moved back to Pennsylvania. As the airplane sped down the runway and lifted into the air (my first flight, her second) she grabbed my hand in fear! It was a surreal moment...not that we had bonded or anything cheesy like that, but all I could think was, "If you had told me that day in the lounge at Cooper that one day she would be holding my hand as our plane took off...I would NEVER have believed it!" And well Cynthia, she was a friend of a friend, who introduced us because our backgrounds were similar (I know that sounds a little funny or something but it is not) And she was right because with how she was raised (a good old country girl) and all she could have practically been part of my family. Although the events and circumstances in our lives have been dramatically different, we have similar outlooks and opinions on life. Sometimes I am a little taken back by the fact that Cynthia and I have been doing Ladies' Night for like 10 years! (Cheryl came into the picture a couple years later.) Together we three have been through 2 weddings, 2 miscarriages, 3 births (including Sierra), a divorce, a parent's breast cancer, a heart surgery, the lost of 2 family members, many different cars, and so, so, so much more. Talking about Solving the World's Problems...we have 2-3 hours of some of the most intense group therapy that you could ever attend (and it only costs us $10.-$15!) And the funny part is...I know their families like they are my own though I never been around them more than a couple times. I've only ever been to Cynthia's house like twice and I'm not even sure where Cheryl lives! I cannot even begin to do it justice with words. But thank you ladies for all the wonderful Thursday nights! And to anyone who may be in a restaurant around the Greater Smithfield area on the first Thursday night of each month and see an unlikely trio of ladies laughing and carrying on...just know that it is Ladies' Night!