GIRL (friend) POWER

On the Jukebox: "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls
Mood: Excited/Nervous
Quote: "I get by with a little help from my friends" ~ The Beatles
Flair: Grrlfriends

Today I'm feeling sort of sentimental. To say the least, it's been an interesting week. My 'first born fictional daughter' just got married and I'm feeling a wee bit old. If that weren't enough I was contacted by an old friend JCC on Facebook. She called me by a name I haven't heard in 23 year and I hardly remember the person I was that she knew. I doubt she would recognize me now that I've emerged from my cocoon.

I owe my emergence as a bright winged creature to a special group of people who helped me get from there to here: my girlfriends. I hate to name names because I will end up leaving too many people out and I don't want to hurt feelings... so I'll just give a few examples to illustrate my point.

First there was Holly, a scholarly and elegant muse. She didn't try to change me from the caterpillar I was because she already saw what I would become. She tried to hold the mirror up and make me see it too. She encouraged me to continue my daydreaming ways and to work on my creative writing skills.

She moved away and I went into my cocoon. I was shy and awkward and afraid to use my voice. It was painful to transform myself and break free of the cocoon. I managed to do so when I moved and was forced to start over making new friends.

Enter Debbie, a bright eyed and unbiased optimist who once said to me, "You know how to do everything!" She may have said it in a joking admiring tone but it stuck with me. It made a difference to have a friend who had confidence in me when I had my doubts.

Fast forward about another 20 years and you get to where I am now. Most of the time I'm poised with a good balance of self assurance and humility. I have the occasional wobble which causes me to nearly spiral into the vortex of egotism or an inferiority complex. Lately I feel I'm standing precariously close to the edge. I'm grateful for the friends that hold my pedestal still - granted it's more like a foot stool than a column, but it's I wouldn't want to fall off of it. When my wings dry I plan to fly!

This special group of a dozen friends I'm going to collectively call my 'Fan Club' because I've allowed them to test read my Ethereal Dreamer series. Each woman has played a significant role in supporting me in various ways, but since we often get together it's easier if I acknowledge them as a unit. I adore these ladies because like Holly and Debbie (and countless others before and since) they recognize the best in me and encourage me to keep going when I feel tired and uninspired.

Last week a trio of said fan club members invited me to dinner to discuss the latest installment in the ED series. Their enthusiasm for the 200 page sample was overwhelming. I like my book, but I still find it strange when other people do, even weirder when they love it. Each of these ladies has a distinctly different personality and style, so it's sort of neat to see that the story has universal appeal. Later a couple other members of the fan club dropped by to see if I had the next section finished. The group is hungry for more and are helping propel my creativity. They also buoy my spirits against the ugliness of the publishing business.

I explained that I was having a hard time with meeting my own stringent writing deadlines because of other important demands on my time - like the Women's Conference I'm speaking at tomorrow. I confessed that I am very nervous and am afraid that I will make a fool of myself. I know my material and I can speak in public but I'm so distracted by the amount of ED material taking up my mental space that I feel unprepared to switch gears. These sweet friends reassured me with specific examples of prior triumphs that I will do fine tomorrow.

And then they went above and beyond...we're going to carpool tomorrow morning and they'll be my personal cheerleaders. Tonight we're going to have a pep rally. I'm going over to set up my visual display and a few of them are going to come along and help. They don't think their decorating advice is necessary but it helps to calm my nerves.

There is strength in numbers, but inner strength is even more powerful. Women are good at reflecting what's divine about one another and that's what true girl power is all about! Which brings me to my quote of the day from the Beatles song "With a Little Help From My Friends." These girlfriends wouldn't walk out on me if I sang out of tune (no, they would stay and laugh BUT they'd be there for me!) Besides they all know I can't sing. We should do some Spice Girl karaoke some night. Sing it with me:

Yo I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,
So tell me what you want, what you really really want,
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really
really really wanna zigazig ha.

I really wanna know what the heck 'zigazig ha' means! I don't think the Spice Girls are smart enough to know that it is a command for show dogs to strut, do you?