Club Club

I'm a member of this book club.  Ok, book club may not be the right term.  Jen's husband, Eric, calls it Club Club, and that may be more fitting.  I've been a member of this club since my children were babies, (the youngest is 7), and really this club started even before we started reading books together. It really started when my best friend, Kristyn, started inviting her friends over to watch Desperate Housewives every week.

I was a housewife at that time, and with infants at my breast, and not much other human contact to speak of, feeling pretty desperate.  We would gather every Sunday, bring snacks and wine, and have the show on in the background while we soaked up pressure free human contact. 

As time went on, people would come and go from the group, but the same four or five people remained at every gathering.  As happens in the lives of busy women, people started to lose interest. Kristyn suggested taking the core group of women, adding a few more, and starting a monthly book club. 

Like many other book clubs, we read great books, discussed them a little, drank a lot of wine, and ate a lot of food.  

Book club was the best part of my month.  Getting together with these incredible women from diverse backgrounds, political views, and philosophical persuasions was so stimulating for me.  It reminded me that I was interesting, intelligent, and separate from my roles as wife and mother.

I admit, before book club,  I was one of those women that was sure she didn't like having relationships with other women because they could be so "catty".  These women taught me that I was wrong.

There are moments with this group of women that would definitely meet the conditions of "catty". We've talked behind each other's backs, had yelling matches over politics, plotted and schemed against each other, and have learned so much about unconditional friendship and and the redeeming quality of forgiveness. We've taught each other so many lessons, about parenting, relationships, business, self acceptance and love, that I'd relive every "catty" moment all over again.  

And we've had so much fun.

We've had crazy nights out.

Been there for each other's milestones.

We've even hopped on our bikes and pedaled 5 miles for some beer and burnt fried food.  

The best part of book club, hasn't been the amazing intellect of the women there, the fascinating and enlightening conversation, or the time away from everyday stresses to learn who we are at our core. It's been the friendships we've made.  

Book club has been there for me, when I was sad, or needing to learn to love my body, or having trouble with my spouse, or children.  These women have forgiven my transgressions, and I have forgiven theirs and we have formed amazing bonds with each other.  

Through the years, a few have left, a few have joined, but the core remains the same, and I feel so blessed to call this group of women my close friends. 

And even though we only read 6 books a year together now, we get together every month to lift each other up, and give each other the space to be ourselves, and I feel so fortunate to be part of it all.