Ode to the Ladies of Bookclub

I was at my monthly bookclub meeting Tuesday night. TLS likes to call it "bookclub," complete with the air quotes, since he refuses to believe that all we do is discuss books. I'm pretty sure he's convinced that there is some secret cauldron stirring or Le Bare's dancers or money changing hands, but wine-drinking is about as wild as it gets.

Our book for January was Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert and it was a big hit. There were times that all of us were talking at the same time, which, to my knowledge has never happened in the eight years or so that I've been a member.

The book has a very "everyone is connected to everyone else" vibe so it was natural that our conversation eventually came around to the bonds between the members of our group. While we may differ in our ages, marital status, religion, or age or existence of children, I've grown to realize that we've formed a family of sorts. Over the years, we've seen our fellow bookclubbers have babies, change jobs, get divorced, lose family members, experience the empty nest, get promoted, and all the other triumphs and tribulations of normal life. Our breadth of experience almost guarantees that someone else has been where you are today and can provide advice. And even if they can't "know" how you're feeling because of personal experience, the ladies can all empathize and at the very least provide a shoulder to cry on or a cheering section when you've conquered the world.

On a personal level, when I was going through all my infertility nonsense, I would share my disappointments and in return I always received validation that I was remembered, cared about, and supported. While most of us don't communicate on a daily or weekly basis with everyone in the group, we know that come the third Tuesday of the month, our friends and cohorts will be there to laugh or cry with us. What a beautiful gift that is and I suspect one that not everyone has the privilege to receive. So, in some small way, this is a thank you for the friendship I've been given and a pledge to continue the circle of support.