Don't stop searching until you find them

I have made some absolutely wonderful friends over the course of my life.  Some individual friends, some parts of groups that did everything together.   Friendship and Loyalty have always been a central, defining, idea in my life.  I cherish my friends and many of them I consider family, but one thing I never had in my teens, or even 20's, was a tribe.  A group of "girlfriends".  A group of women that support each other and lift each other up, that were all friends.  It took many years, many moves, ultimately across the county, but I've found them.  It started small, and seems to have grown every year :) but isn't that fabulous?  Finding more and more women to fit, like puzzle pieces, into each other's lives?!?

After some serious reflection on these women, and the parts they each play in my life, (and one slightly horrifying moment where I realized one of them is the same amount of years older than my daughter, as I am older then her) it occurred to me that possibly the reason we work IS the age range between all of us.  We range from 23-38 years old. Some of us are married, some engaged, some dating, some single.  Some of us have children.  Some of us own our homes, some rent, some live at home with their parents.  I think we each offer a unique perspective on life, given where we are at in our own, that adds to the richness and balance of the group.

Women can be catty, petty, manipulative and downright mean.  It's a fact.  Some people are just assholes.  The first step in finding good, decent people to befriend, is being one yourself.  I am a true believer in attracting what you put out.  You want friends who aren't assholes?  Don't be an asshole.
The best part about these women who I am so fortunate to have found, is that I know that the true girlfriends I made before they came into my world would adore them too, and vice versa.  They'd open up their arms and treat them with love and respect.  There would be no guarded dispositions, no jealousy, no cattiness.  Just good people hanging with good people.  Are we perfect?  OF COURSE NOT.  No one is.  We all have our faults, as well as strengths, that make us who we are.  We are always learning and growing (often from each other), and adulting to the best of our abilities. Being Human. 

For a period of my life I had a dude tribe (still do, scattered as they may be), and I was the "momma hen" holding down the fort.  A tribe of ladies is a totally different ballgame, different vibe.  10 years ago, I couldn't have imagined finding this many women that all get along, like REALLY get along and love each other.  It was a foreign concept to me.  But here I am, living the tribe, the squad, the girl gang dream.  I literally couldn't imagine my life without them now.

Put out what you want to receive.  Don't be an asshole.   Don't stop searching until you find them.