Monday, January 21, 2013

The Greatest Weekend in a Decade, at least

This is the year we all turn fifty -- and to celebrate we flew and drove to a grand house in South Carolina. We came from Paris, France and Los Angeles, California. We came from Georgia, and North Carolina. We came from Virginia and South Carolina and Maryland and Tennessee. We are married and divorced. We are with children and without children. We have adopted children. We have children in college and children at home and children with disabilities and children without. We are gay and straight. We love our families and we love each other, passionately.



We went for a big hike in DuPont park on Saturday morning. Some of you who saw the movie Hunger Games might recognize the gorgeous, wild beauty of the place.



We enjoyed the scenery and took many group photos,



But we mainly talked. We couldn't stop talking!







In fact, it was nearly impossible to take a photo of anything other than us talking!




After dinner, on Saturday night, we convened at the homestead for caramel birthday cake and champagne.





We ended the evening with wish papers that I brought from Los Angeles. Evidently, this has never been seen on the east coast, and I was roundly mocked for the whole ceremony being "very LA." But we all made wishes and watched them float up and into the ether.




I am home, now, happy to see my family, but I am filled with warmth and love and happiness and gratitude for friendships that have lasted nearly thirty years, for the women who knew me when I was oh, so young, for the beautiful ways that they live, for the beauty of their faces, for the sound of their laughs and their voices filling my heart.

23 comments:

  1. I so want to copy. It looks wonderful!

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  2. Oh my, that sounds like a heavenly weekend.

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  3. Honest to god, woman. This made me cry.

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  4. I am so happy for you. It sounds like your weekend was pure sustenance and laughter, the kind only women can friends provide one another.

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  5. Wow. I am so jealous. Good jealous. You are so lucky to have those friendships for so many years. What a blessing.

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  6. This warmed me so much! Seriously, I couldnt stop smiling throughout. You can almost feel the history you guys share radiating from the photos. I long to share moments like this with my university friends over the decades to come. Thank you for sharing :)

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  7. I am stealing this idea, I love it so much!! Thank you for sharing :)

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  8. what a bunch of gorgeous women! What an action packed weekend you all had. Your faces must've hurt from all the smiling. Great photos - thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful gathering -- it warms my heart no end.

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  9. I'm just bummed I wasn't invited! Happy for you, Baby! I want to go next year please!!

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  10. I am so glad that the weather cooperated and you all got to get outside and walk and talk. What a magical weekend! Maybe next time it'll be in Paris ;-)

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  11. So, so, so, beautiful! I LOVE that you did this. It makes my heart sing. Gorgeous, all of you.

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  12. What a wonderful thing it is to have a group of women/sisters! You can go months or years without seeing each other but everything is picked up where it is left off when you re-connect. I have a group of women like that in my life that I have known since I was 5. They bring me much joy and I can tell that your tribe does that same for you.

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  13. Sounds like a terrific reunion! Just like the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. (Actually, I say that having never read or seen the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, so I may be completely wrong -- but it's what I imagine the Ya-Ya Sisterhood to be like.)

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  14. Oh, and I've never seen wish papers either! I'm guessing you write a wish on them, light them on fire and they float upwards?

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  15. There is just something magic about being amidst nature, surrounded by friends who love you, isn't there? It seems to provide the perfect antidote to soothing the soul and quieting the mind. You seem refreshed and happy, something you truly deserve to be. The scenes from your hike and especially the waterfall were stunning. I love the wish papers, such a fun thing to do with the girls. You all look so happy together. Welcome home Elizabeth.

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  16. Love, love, love, love! Thank you for sharing this, Elizabeth. It brought back many happy memories of similar times in the woods and at play with women friends. Friendship and nature and good food and dress-up and wishes flying up to the stars - the best of everything.

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  17. I can't imagine anything better than this. I'm so happy to know that friendships can last so long, that wonderful women's getaways can still happen. I especially loved the hike. And the cake. And the smiles....

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  18. That's a true treasure! It looks like such a wonderful time!

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  19. SC -- and you didn't call me?!! I am a full member of the birthday 50 club too, no fair! And that GDC bag in the photos, the store is 3 blocks from my house.
    so glad you all celebrated. Even w/o me.
    love you,
    s

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    1. I'm not sure we could have handled a Dukie at our reunion! In all seriousness, though, you actually know one of the women who attended because she teaches school in your city, and she's met you! Email me for details --

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  20. That looks and sounds just wonderful. So glad you all had a happy birthday reunion :)

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