Since early in the pandemic, I have been meeting weekly with a group of girlfriends via video.
We all knew each other before the pandemic, but even my closest friend didn’t meet up with me every week. After 4 years of (nearly) weekly meetings, I think we are all closer friends than before.
We are not all doctors, but we enjoy talking a little about medicine (for some reason, we especially love references to syphilis–don’t ask). Most weeks we just catch up on each others’ lives, our work challenges, our family woes, and lately our vacation plans, and support one another.
In the past 4 years, two of us have gotten promotions at work, and another took a new, more senior position. The last one, my friend with One More Year Syndrome, cut back on work and has her last day of work in her sights.
I had the pleasure of hosting them for an in-person meeting last month, and had a blast. I was just thinking about how wonderful this group has been for me (and hopefully, all of us for each other).
We had a wonderful time, eating highly caloric treats, and talking for hours.
I may have been a little too negative about my job, as my friends started pushing me to think about how to improve my situation. This spurred some introspection on my part (still ongoing), which I have found helpful, though one of my friends dropped me a note later, hoping they hadn’t been pushing too hard.
I’ve started taking some steps, with plans to meet with a partner next week about what they do (with an eye to improving my situation).
And, after a better week at work, I think it’s time to imagine what I want my weeks to look like going forward.
I didn’t set out to establish a mastermind group, but that’s part of what we seem to have become.
I’ve always found the advice to make friends with those who can help you… actually, pretty disgusting and manipulative. However, supporting your friends, and being supported in return, is a lovely feeling.
So, thank you my friends, for giving me an excuse to clean up the house, for not mentioning all the stuff that wasn’t magazine-perfect when you came over, for allowing me to host a wonderful afternoon of chat and bakery treats, for pushing me to make my life better.
As an aside, this post was delayed by a visit from an old friend. It seemed wrong to put off time with a friend to write about the virtues of friendship.
Please feel free to share some highlights of your IRL (in real life) friendships. Or your thoughts on mastermind groups. Or anything at all.
Three of my high-school girlfriends and I recently started a new tradition. A bi-monthly lunch get-together where we each take turns choosing the location. We’re calling it the A-B-C-D… lunch because the idea is the first person chooses a location (town or restaurant) starting with A, the next person with B, and so on.
That sounds like a lot of fun, and a great way to strengthen your relationships. Bon appetit!