For the Love of Female Friendship

plus glimmers from the past two weeks

Glimmers are your casual companion to the Sincerely, Soph weekly newsletter, filled with off the cuff updates & all the little moments that made me smile this past week.

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I write this post sitting in a cheery little coffee shop with walls covered in paintings by local artists, sun streaming in from the window above my head, and playful notes of folk music dancing through the air. I’m alone, reading, at a rather large table, when two women ask if they can join me. Their skin worn by the passage of time yet glowing with the kind of light that can only be nurtured from decades of laughing and loving well.

I accept, of course, and soon they are scooping up the two empty chairs across the table, diving into an endless stream of conversation. They sit facing one another, huddled over cups of piping hot tea, legs touching, while splitting a pastry and girlishly taking photos of one another in the gorgeous natural light streaming in from the window above. All the while their conversation danced effortlessly between them - flitting from deep introspection on what it means to be fulfilled to light-hearted giggles over the fact that the addition of broccoli ruined their “perfectly good pastry.” Lovers or friends? That, I can’t say, but is that not the beautiful intimacy of female friendship? The gift of having the space to talk about everything and nothing at all.

A group poem gifted to me by my friends on my 25th birthday <3

Watching these women, I couldn’t help but think of my own friendships, and just how much these relationships have shaped me over the past 11 years. My girls have loved me at my worst, celebrated me at my best, and when I seem to have lost my way, reminded me time and time again who I am.

They’re brave enough to ask the big questions. Demanding more from life while jumping boldly into new adventures and experiences. They let curiosity and passion lead them. Putting themselves out there time and time again without letting the fear of failure hold them back.

These are the people I can show up as my most socially awkward, quiet, down in the dumps self, and know that I will be not just accepted, but celebrated. There is no pressure to perform. No rigid roles to adhere to. Just space to grow and change and shift into the person that I’m meant to be. Each and every time I talk with them, I leave feeling a little bit lighter, a lot more inspired, and so in awe of what truly wise and wonderful women they are.

I feel so lucky that this trip has given us the opportunity to spend time with long distance friends, visiting them in their cities and getting the opportunity to connect and get a glimpse into their world. Whatever I did in this lifetime to be lucky enough to love these 8 girls, I don’t know, but it is a gift that I won’t take for granted.

Or should I say, glimmers of the past two weeks? Is it just me, or did March fly by at record breaking speeds?! If our time in Lyons was spent reveling in the community and slow pace of living, this time in Sonoma County has just been a series of moments marveling at the range of natural beauty all around us. The deep blue Pacific Ocean, towering Redwoods and rolling green hills, have all done wonders in grounding me in my appreciation for the earth and all she gives us.

The sort of sky that makes you believe in the divine

1. Wise old trees

2. The way the afternoon sun pours through our windows creating little pockets of joy throughout the house.

3. Almost getting trampled by a herd of very curious cows

4. Chasing waterfalls & romping around in the mud without stress of the mess

5. Forever in awe of the great big, swirling, powerful sea

6. Late morning rainbows as a consolation for getting caught in the rain on our morning walk

7. The sort of sky that makes you believe in the divine

Honorable mention: Last weekend spent in Big Sur celebrating my best friend’s husband for his birthday, meeting their newest addition to the family (the cutest puppy) & soaking up good quality time with my long distance besties <3

Do you have a gratitude practice? What are some small moments from this past week that made you smile?

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