The Kids

I looked at this picture and, fuzzy as it is, can't help but smile.

Photo not by Anne. Hers aren't this fuzzy.

I see five women who care for each other in a way that I've discovered is rare. I see five women who have been through pregnancies, births, divorces, new love, health scares, husband frustrations, children frustrations, broken bones, moves, and dozens of other events large and small that make up life. It's no wonder that when I sat down last November to write a novel, I decided to use Supper Club as the basis for my story.

We're not all alike - I see Jen's eyes glaze over when I start talking about Iron Man and Tara's early morning habits boggle me - but we're all connected in a way I can’t define and maybe I'm not supposed to.

I’ve had friends for a reason – people who have gotten me through bad or good situations, people with whom I partied or crafted. When the reason ended, so did the friendships.

I’ve had friends for a season – people who were there during, looking back, specific times in my life, times that are now over and I’ve seen them drift away. The friendships didn’t end with a bang, usually, but, most often, with a slow fade.

 And I have a few cherished friends who have been friends, so far, for life. These are the ones who have lasted through reasons, though it might have been why we started our friendships. These are the ones who have lasted through seasons, multiple seasons.

When I look at this picture I see something else.

Photo by Anne

Notice how Collin has his arm linked with Joseph’s. Note how Hannah is clinging to his other arm. See how Elizabeth has her arm around Holden? And how Arabella is leaning towards Elizabeth? How Jackson is leaning towards Arabella and even Harper is touching Holden? Their smiles are goofy, their poses ridiculous, the danger to the babies very real. Still, there is something here. I see the future. A second layer to the community I'm building for myself and my children.

I see how these little people are forming a bond within our bond. Joseph has known these kids since he was three, Elizabeth since birth. Collin calls them his family. And maybe they are. After all, friends are the family you choose.