Girlfriends: Taking Time And Spending Time

A long weekend in the company of a great girlfriend in a place I have always dreamed of visiting is nothing short of one of those pinch-me-I-can’t believe-I-am-here moments. One of my friends has recently relocated to Sag Harbour in New York; to say that this beautiful little town is idyllic is an understatement and the weekend has been the perfect respite after all the sadness and horror in Paris.

When life shocks and unbalances I believe we gravitate to friendship and family to re-find our footing. Spending girlfriend time is precious and not something we ever have enough. As women we focus on our partners, our children and our work first; we forget the simple joy of doing girly things. We need our girl time and there is something so liberating about taking this kind of time for ourselves. I don’t believe it is selfish or undeserved but rather a necessary interlude to boost our energy and keep us on track.

Seeing a place through the eyes of someone who has “come home” is all the better. She has introduced me to her world in a way I could never have discovered on my own. There are many sides to the Hamptons and yes the houses are mind blowing, like nothing I have ever seen. In some ways driving around this picture perfect area feels unreal, as if I am on a movie set and yet I have been privileged to see past all that. I have been privy to the other side, the quaint old-fashioned nature of the towns, the natural beauty and the authentic elements that the local full-time residents know and love.

We have talked as we walked and we have driven from one length of the island to the other. The time has flown and yet stood still; friendship is like that. Everything can change but nothing changes. We may only see each other infrequently and yet no time passes; our lives move forward, yet we remain close.

Girlfriends, what would we do without them? xv