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Writer's pictureLauren Wiatrek

A sweet friendship refreshes the soul. Proverbs 27:9


Why are sleepovers only a thing for our youth? I think spending some quality time with women is incredibly important. Women need other women, in cultures and generations from our past women gathered together, worked together, cooked together, and in all that had fellowship together. Why did this stop?

This past weekend I had three of my favorite women travel into town to spend time with me during my battle with breast cancer. They came in that weekend to support me walking Race for the Cure. What I loved is each of these women had been part of a special phase of my life in different years, none of them knew each other and yet we had a blast together. My college bestie Rachel, drove in from Galveston, spending her first weekend away from her little darling 8-month-old, Grace. My Dallas bestie, Amanda, who I met just as Evan and I first started dating and moved away from Austin together, when we knew no one. She traveled from Missouri while just entering her second trimester of pregnancy. My Colorado running buddy bestie, Cara, who helped me through many "new marriage talks" and introduced me to motherhood, who started our Race for the Cure team, flew in from Nevada leaving her two little boys back with their sweet dad.

Cara arrived first, late Friday night and we gabbed the whole way home and stayed up a bit late catching up. Rachel arrived around lunch on Saturday and the three of us escaped after I put my littles down for nap. We went to a local coffee shop, Caffe Yolly, grabbed some yummy drinks and a snack and just chatted the hours away. Talking about husbands, our kiddos, Jesus, our friendships… uplifting, encouraging and real. I loved it.

Then Amanda arrived with her mama, in time for our Saturday happy hour to begin. (Sidenote: I brought out two giant laundry baskets of laundry and within minutes the five women in my home folded and put away my family’s clothes…amazing what a group of women can accomplish together.) My momma strolled in soon after the wine was poured.

That Saturday night is now tucked in my memories as one of my favorite Saturday nights. Amanda, my fabulous culinary friend cheffed us up a delicious menu….from a delectable cheese plate, to a thoughtfully presented dinner. Throughout the whole evening, I actually got to sit and enjoy conversation (usually I am the one running around cooking, sweating and trying to host and serve everyone…Amanda made this all look much smoother than I do! Haha), we laughed, we danced, we sang, we cried, we shared, we had precious women fellowship time. I wished later that Evan would have taken a video of the room and how we were interacting with each other.

Amanda was the chef…showing her love through her fabulous food; Rachel was the joy doctor making everyone laugh with her ability to be young at heart, compassionate and true; Cara was the caretaker, always looking for opportunities to help, aid in cooking or giving wise advice.

I can’t say enough how much I loved that night. I felt surrounded by love and by women I hadn’t seen in three years. They all came together to support me in this time of weakness, to encourage me in this time of fear, to uplift me in this dim tunnel, to make me laugh and help remind me that Jesus has my back. I felt so thankful for their friendship. Because honestly, that's what I need most, the people around me.

These nights are so important, the true closeness and quality time you have when you spend the weekend together. The late-night moments or early morning gab sessions. These can be life changing, they can heal the broken and clothe a friend in love. I hope I will be lucky enough to experience more of my gracious girl weekends, as my lens has focused on those around me.

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