Wow, talk about stories! To celebrate our first anniversary on-air, we received over 27 entries for our Girlfriend Stories Contest – stories of how girlfriends have helped to increase the sanity, confidence, or fun in your life.
It was hard to choose the top 3 stories of how, but we did it and now we’re thrilled to share them with you!
On our “Girlfriend We Gotta Talk!” radio show you’ll hear from the 3 winners - Christie Tripp, Debbie Johnston, and Diana Thompson. Each story is unique and touching.
Girlfriend Story Contest Winners
In memory of my friend Sharyn by Debbie Johnston
Following and ubrupt and painful ending in my marriage to someone I truly cherished I found myself-devastated, hurt, lost, wounded and confused. It was this pain that sent me into a weekend retreat that promised a fix to hurts that life throws your way through group therapy
It was there that I spotted Sharyn-a stunning, beautiful woman-crying almost the whole weekend because she was trying to save her marriage and from the looks of it she was married to a real jerk who was reluctantly in the group-thinking he didn't need any help. I immediately connected with Sharyn because the rose colored glasses I had been wearing about my ex-husband were beginning to come down and in watching Sharyn's husband I could see some real similarities between my ex and her husband.
Sharyn was extremly bright with a Masters in counseling. As much as I connected with her, she connected with me. I don't know how I would have made it through my divorce without her. She listened, patted me while I cried, and was aperson who kept believing in me when my self-esteem was so shattered. Whenever I would get to fanticysing about the good old days with my ex, Sharyn helped me by making me creat lists of what was actually wrong with the marriage and had me focus on that list which continued to shatter those rose colored glasses.
As my marriage disenegraeted, my career began to soar beyond my wildest dreams, and there on the sidelines were my 2 greatest cheerleaders - my mom and my best friend Sharyn. Slowly and after winning umteen business awards, I began to pick myself up off the ground and believe in myself again. This climb up the hill could have and would have never happened without the help of Sharyn pushing me, encouraging me and cheering me on.
A couple of years went by and Sharyn was diagnosed with breast cancer. What a blow! Ladies let me speak loudly about this. Sharyn"s breast cancer was missed on mammogram and by one our city's finest breast cancer physicians. So keep doing your own self-examination!
Eventually she was diagnosed and there began her 11 year battle with this dreaded disease which strikes 1 in 8 women today. At this point a different journey began for Sharyn and I. It was my turn to carry the woman who had so strongly been carrying me through a jungle. Despite months and years of chemotherapy, surgery after surgery, nutitional attempts, trips abroad for the promise of the latest and greatest and ultimately deep profound spiritual searching and connection, Sharyn was always there for me to always to listen, coddle and cheer me on my journey through business success.
Her brave attempt to kick this dreadful disease had a hugh impact on my life and I became a Board member for Massey Cancer Center. Walking with her through her illness made me realize how trivial it was for me to have spent so much energy on my ex - a man who could not have loved me or anyone for that matter, and just how important a real girlfriend really is - someone who loves you no matter what, without having to give up yourself, one who cheers you on, one who believes in you with their whole heart. My experience through life has shown me that men come and go but it is the great women in your life who are the true battery that keep your engine moving and chuggin along.
Losing Sharyn left and leaves a whole in my soul as she was one of the most remarkable people who every touched my life. So I say today, love your girlfriends with all your heart. The good ones will always be with you no matter what and do your own self brast exams.
In the Massey Cancer Center Healing Garden there is a beautiful art piece dedicated to my friend Sharyn, an ever so small token of my on going respect, devotion and love for this woman, my best friend Sharyn.
A Friendship of Three Spanning Over 25 Years by Christie Tripp
I met the first of my two best friends, Diane, in 4th grade. We went to elementary school together – she bravely joined my “girls only” club called The Feathers Club. At the time we both had many friends and hung out on occasion. She was a gymnast and I was a ballerina. We both liked boys though! In fact, I was chosen as princess of the elementary school and her boyfriend was chosen as prince. She didn’t like that too much but got past it!
I met the second of my two best friends, Melanie, in 5th grade. Melanie took ballet at the same dance studio as me. She was quiet but really funny. She had this really huge mouth with big teeth and would hold her head back and open like the flip top guy cartoon! We hit it off instantly and continued to dance together until our senior year in high school. Fortunately our two elementary schools merged into one middle school and we were able to develop our friendship even more in 6th grade.
During middle school all three of us had various groups of friends. Some hung out together – others did not. Some times we lost touch for a month or so for various reasons like diving headfirst into a relationship with a new boyfriend – but as soon as one of us had a break-up, we were there for each other and tight again. No matter what stage of our life we were in at the time somehow we found our way back to each other.
Once we headed off to high school, the turning point in our relationship was the happen chance we were all in an advanced English class together. I have some of the funniest memories doing research papers together and studying in the Randolph Macon library. It all started with looking up the word “dry hump” in the dictionary and escalated from there. We laughed so hard we couldn’t breathe….enough said about that subject!
All three of us worked at Kings Dominion summer after summer. Melanie and I entered a dance competition there and came in second or third place (can’t remember) – we were so brave back then! Diane and I stuck it out the longest as Kings Dominion employees. I walked around the characters in costume - I was the protector of Scooby Doo! She was Scooby Doo in the character kids show. What great memories – I actually loved getting up and going to work everyday at 17 yrs. old! It was like going to work at a big play land. Then the three of us decided to enter a dance competition at our high school. Diane couldn’t dance – she was a gymnast as I mentioned before. For months we met over Diane’s house working on our dance routine and “teaching” Diane how to hip-hop. Another great memory and we rocked the auditorium that night to a Janet Jackson song! We still pull out the video every now and then and laugh at ourselves.
Friends in 1989
Through college, Melanie and I actually were roommates our freshman year at VCU. Then after a year or two living with a boyfriend, getting married and then divorced, Melanie moved in with Diane after college graduation. At the time I was newly married and expecting my first child. We still kept in touch and they threw me a baby shower and were holding my first baby boy the day he was born in the hospital.
We kept a tradition during all of these life transitions – one we started when we were 16 yrs. old. We had to take each other out for our birthdays. So, three times a year we would definitely see each other (if not more) but at least we knew in January, March and September we were getting together no matter what. We still hold on to this tradition 20 yrs. later. We’ve done everything from staying at the OMNI hotel for a girls night out, driving all the way to Virginia Beach just to dance at a hot night club (and back the same night), brunch at the Jefferson Hotel (the year Melanie and I were pregnant), inviting our husbands for a fondue dinner (we felt sorry for them), back to a martini bar for another girls night out to cruising together in the Caribbean.
Melanie now has four children. I have three children. Ironically our children all pair up in age so they play great together. Diane is our childless wealthy “Aunt Diane” who spoils our kids with birthday checks and fabulous Christmas gifts every year. Oh, and that is another tradition we started about 6 yrs. ago that I forgot to mention. We rotate Christmas dinner over each other houses each year with spouses and kids. Except for the years Diane is the host. She prefers an adult evening at her house (which is a nice excuse for a babysitter!). We try to do a girls’ get-a-way weekend every other year. Recently Diane’s mother built a house on the river and since Melanie’s daughter and mine are somewhat grown now, we bring them along for girls’ only river weekends!
Friends in 2009
Because of our busy lives, sometimes we may go a month or two without talking but just as we’re on each others minds – the phone rings. Through good times and bad times we were and are always there for each other. We’ve cried on each other’s shoulders, made each other mad at times and cheered each other up when we were down in the dumps. We’ve given each other both wanted and unwanted advice over the years too.
I feel like our relationship is unique and special – not many girls can say they still have their elementary school best friends as their adult best friends. It is a good feeling and I am honored and blessed to have these fabulous gals in my life!
Tragedy to Blessing by Diana Thompson
My husband had brain cancer and was dying. The cancer had gotten to the point that he no longer knew who I was. He needed to be fed, dressed, bathed, he could no longer do anything for himself. I was keeping him at home, with much needed and appreciated help from hospice. However, my role in life had become caretaker, 24/7.
I was depressed, lonely and in the process of having a pity party, when, one day, four of my friends brought dinner and wine to share with me at home. They were really good friends, the kind you know it is ok to laugh with, even when times are tough. That evening we ate, laughed, drank wine, hugged and gave strength to each other. These lovely friends continued to bring dinner every Wednesday night thoughout my husbands's illness and after his death, they said, "until I was cheered up."
Well, it is now 10 years later, the four have grown to 15, and we still meet once a month to cheer up whoever needs it. I could not live without these friends now. Women know how to pick up the strands of life for each other and weave it all back together. Their special kind of girlfriend love is tender when it needs to be, but tough when the need is to move on.
