Sisterhood can come in many forms. The best part is that if you want, you can form a sisterhood with another woman. Or you can create as many sisters in your hood as you like.

I am so fortunate to have my sisters, Gail and Suzanne. Hands down, I couldn’t have hand-picked better for myself. If they were the only women I had to bond with, that would be an abundance. I am even more fortunate, however, to have bonds with many other women, and some of them are sisterhoods in themselves. Like the one I have with my college friends.

Tracy and I grew up together, and Marilyn and Denise grew up together. The four of us met at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, in 1984. That’s 40 years ago, and we didn’t fail to notice that big number.

Marilyn was my potluck roommate in the dorm when I arrived, and we all became roommates the next year. She accompanied me on my trip to the Southwest last spring (She Let Herself Go, March 4th, 2024), and I have her to thank for inspiring me to follow in her professional tracks to become a speech therapist.

Marilyn had a big birthday last month, and Tracy’s birthday was last week. We had many reasons to celebrate. We celebrate often, but never often enough. I have featured them before (Friends Forever, June 30, 2019 and several other posts.

They all arrived yesterday–Tracy from Kansas City and Marilyn and Denise from Wichita–to my home yesterday. We hung out for a bit, lunched, shopped in the unique shops in the vibrant downtown of my small city,

then spent the evening at The Farm, a restaurant/brewery/coffee shop/rec center/gathering place that defies all description.

There was an incredibly talented live musician there last night, and the food and drink were delectable, as always. It is a must-go-to in Minneapolis, Kansas, just north of my home.

Tracy, in her never-ending generous spirit, insisted on buying us all a gift for her birthday: matching shirts from The Farm.

We will sport them together at our next gathering, hopefully a road trip.

The 1980’s, if you lived through them and remember them, were a decade of excess. Big hair, big music, big fun. We had our share in college.

In 1986, Tracy and Denise participated in an air band competition. Marilyn and I were in charge of the fan club; we were their biggest groupies. This memory is one that we share often, and last night was no exception. As we pulled out of my driveway on our way to The Farm, in serendipitous Godwink fashion, the Universe gave us a nod through Sirius Radio:

This was the song they performed.

Perhaps a small fraction of you dear readers remember DJ’s, the legendary hangout in Hays, Kansas. The contest was held there. Enjoy the memories. You’re welcome.

Unlike the 80’s, we all lost our steam around 9:00 pm last night. Marilyn and Denise were driving back to Wichita, so it was time to call it a night. It was the end of a beautiful, memorable, laughter-filled day.

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Thanksgiving is upon us again. I try hard to be grateful for the abundance in my life every day of the year, including my abundance of friends. These three are at the top of my list of friends I am thankful for. They are always there, no matter what or where. They were a huge part of the magic and memories of college. While our time together waxed and waned in the busy family years, they were always a phone call away. They were beside me when my parents died. They have known me longer than most other people, with the exception of my sisters. Each of them has had to say goodbye to a beloved sister. I cannot imagine that pain, but loss has a way of bonding people together, and we have let it help us grow closer.

They are always there for me.

Always and Forever.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. May you count your friends–and your sisters–among all your other blessings on Thanksgiving and every day of the year. A sisterhood of friends is something to be thankful for.