My Very Own Golden Girls
My group of girlfriends and I have been together for a long time. We have grown up together.
I did not start writing today until I had lunch with my girlfriends. I knew I would come away with a lot of material to write about. They didn’t disappoint.
Most of us retired, so our regular gatherings have moved to lunches instead of dinners. This cuts back on our alcohol consumption a bit. But allows us to go hiking or shopping to burn off lunch and get some exercise.
One of their husbands died recently. Everyone went through their old pictures of our gang and brought them to the wake. During this process, I came to the realization that these people had been in my life for over 50 years!! More than 75% of my life! That’s a massive investment of time and energy.
We have been to each other’s weddings, baby showers, graduations, 4th of July picnics, and more. We have supported one another through bad boyfriends, divorces, and now our husbands’ passing.
There are 10 of us girlfriends. 2 husbands have passed away from debilitating diseases in the past couple of years. Now another is battling stage 4 lung cancer. My girlfriends range in age from 60 to 70, and we are in pretty good shape. We have all married, had kids and careers, except one. We’ve also have been the caregivers for our parents.
We would joke about becoming the “Golden Girls” someday, and all move in together. We would laugh about who would be the bawdy character and who would be the prankster. That may not be so far-fetched anymore. Once a husband passes away, our financial situations and support structure changes. What better way to live out your life than surrounded by your buddies!
I am not advocating moving away from other family members. But often families have spread out all over the country and there is no more established base.
The economies gained by moving in together and aging in place are significant. We could build a living environment that supports all our abilities. Plus, sharing the cost of housing, meals, and chores is a pretty attractive opportunity.
We could collaborate on transportation needs. Rides to appointments and the grocery store is often a big issue with people who don’t, or can’t, drive anymore.
Not to mention the benefits of moral support and the value of a long shared history. We could push each other out of our comfort zones to keep us moving, exploring and thriving.
I can picture us sitting on the lanai sipping our cocktails and watching the sun go down, laughing our heads off!
