My Golden Girls

Growing up I always wanted a sister*. I wanted someone that I could fight with, share clothes with, get advice from and give advice to. I wanted to know what it would be like to have someone who would have my back, make fun of me, love me, ride or die on the strength of sisterhood.

I wanted to know what it was like to have a constant friend even when I was older. I mean I watched as my mother would talk to my aunts, her sisters several times a week. I really admired how they would get together and share stories about their lives, each other, and other members of the fam. (Note: My mom is one of 10 children). I watched my cousins share all of the above with their sisters and somehow I felt like sister outsider.

Since I didn't grow up having that, I learned to value my sisterfriends a lot at a very early age. As time went on, I realized that not everyone was a a sisterfriend, but the ones that are oh my, they are the effn best. (cue Drake) If you want to see a happy camper, get me and my girlfriends together and put some food, maybe some liquor and watch what goes down. I'm kinda giddy thinking about it now...and yes I'm entirely aware how corny it is.

I often joke that my girls, are the the perfect set of boyfriends that I just don't have sex with. We laugh, we go to concerts, vacations, movies, dinner together. We give each other the advice that I always thought I would get from my sister. I miss them when we haven't hung out. I get annoyed when one or more think they are right and I am wrong. I relish in their smarts and their beauty. I love to see them happy living life, loving hard, being great. I get angry when they are angry, hurt when they hurt. As they have been a shoulder to lean on, I will do the same.

As I have gotten older, I've only appreciated more why God didn't give me the sister(s) that I thought I needed when I was younger. Friends are truly the sisters that God let us choose and not necessarily the one we are born with. There are so many stories nowadays of women of color not supporting each other and breaking each other down (RHOA anyone?). But the truth of the matter, that a small subset of what is out there. Real life trumps any mellow dramatic reality t.v. show...

To them I say "Thank you for being a friend/travel down the road and back again/your heart is true your a pal and a confidante." Thanks for being my Golden Girls

Until next time, smile and tell your sisterfriend how you love them so



*I do have a sister. She was raised with her Mom and other younger sister. She came around when she could. I love her but it was different kind of relationship. Sister is a special person, who later in life, I realized was able to do the best she could with the sister hand we were dealt.