Weekends are always lovely and amazing. Who doesn't love a weekend? Some weekends are relaxing and quiet, you know the ones that give you some much needed downtime. Then there are BIG weekends. And my last BIG weekend was spent in Charleston, South Carolina, with some of my most favorite people ever.
It happened a few weeks ago now. When seven -- no -- seven and one eighth of us {welcome Harper Simone to our group of besties} people you love get together to share a weekend in a quaint little city by the beach, there are expectations, BIG exceptions. You expect you will reminisce about the past. You expect you will hug. You expect to take so many photos you cannot possibly afford to print them all. {Thank you Facebook for not charging us to post pix!} You expect in this group, especially that there will be many coffee breaks. And that you will absolutely love the new little city you are exploring.
There are, however, some things you do not to expect or maybe even forget...maybe even on purpose. While you get excited about the grand hello that is filled with hugs and photos and screams when we all saw each other for the first time in years, you refuse to think about what will happen at the end of the weekend. Possibly because it seems as though this time will never end. And though it shouldn't, it sure did.
The farewell for me, happened over two days. Not sure if this is better. Yes, I had more time with some of my people, however two days of goodbyes, I would not wish on anyone! The first one happened in a restaurant. The people around us may have assumed someone had passed away with the tears we were crying. The second at the airport. I swear there was a very sad song paying in the background as I waved goodbye, wheeled my suitcase towards the sliding glass doors, as I tried my hardest not to look back.
You may be wondering why I chose to write about this part of the trip instead of all of the fun. The fun may come in another post at another time, but for now I write about the goodbye because sometimes, it is in the goodbyes of life you realize just how much you care for someone else. Most often when we are constantly around others, we fall into the swing of things and we forget the people who make our lives great. And I am lucky enough to have seven {and an eighth} of those people in my life that are truly great.
They are mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, aunts, working women, back bones of their families, creative geniuses, bakers, cooks, massage therapists, students, friends...
And I have the privilege and honor to call them my bestites. Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives for the past 10 years. I love you. Here's to the next 10.