The Story of GWO

This is the story of the grand tradition between my best friends of a quarterly Girls Weekend Out (GWO). Here's how it came about....

Once upon a time, two little girls were born as cousins and grew up together in the same small town (although they went to different schools). We'll call them Erica and Danialle. They were as close as cousins can be. The younger of the cousins, Erica went to the same high school as a girl called Jennifer. Erica and Jennifer became friends through a series of common interests including playing on the high school softball team and having the same after-school job at Wal-Mart. Growing up in the same town and being friends with Erica, Jennifer on occasion had met Danialle, but didn't know her well enough to consider her a friend. After high school, as often happens, people go their separate ways and grow apart, although strangly enough Erica and Jennifer became closer friends and made a point to keep in touch through e-mail, phone calls, and the occasional get together, usually around their birthdays (Erica and Jennifer are only 9 days apart in age).

Jennifer went away to college and made some new friends. One of these friends was Heather. They were in the same major, in many of the same extra-curricular activities, and became very close. Heather was always there to listen when Jennifer had problems (and Jennifer would return the favor), and Heather even introduced Jennifer to the man she would eventually marry. As the college years were winding down, Jennifer decided to get married. Two of her bridesmaids were Erica, her highschool friend, and Heather, her college friend. Through the wedding Heather and Erica met and very quickly became friends with each other (independent of their joint friendship with Jennifer).

After college, Jennifer moved to a new state, however, still kept in touch with both Heather and Erica. About a year later, Erica met the man of her dreams and decided she would get married too. Two of her bridesmaids were Danialle, her favorite cousin, and Jennifer, her highschool friend. As bridesmaids, there are many important responsibilities including planning the bachelorette party. Through making these plans, Danialle and Jennifer spent many hours of e-mails and plan-making and became great friends independantly of their friendship with Erica. Then at the Bachelorette party, Heather was invited and met Danialle. They also instantly hit it off and there were these four girls who had an amazing time together and luckily realized how special this could be.

After the bachelorette party the girls wanted a way to be sure that this friendship would never be lost. Seeing each other in person is an important part of the equation. So they decided to get together every 3 months or so in a different host city to reconnect and have "girl time" a Girls Weekend Out. GWO would go on regardless of changes in marital status, children being born, etc.

The first of these GWO excursions was in Chicago, Danialle's city. It was a huge success and the next GWO was immediately planned. GWO II was in Terre Haute, Indiana and was equally as successful.

GWO III was in Columbus, OH, Jennifer's city and brought the newest addition to the GWO group. When Jennifer moved to Columbus, she was fortunate enough in the first 6 months or so, to meet a person who was to be her best friend. Being in a city away from your friends and family is difficult, but Samara made it ok, as she now had a person locally to laugh and cry with. Fortunately their husbands got along too, so it was perfect. Samara joined the group in Columbus, and Erica, Danialle, and Heather couldn't help but love her too.

So now our GWO group sits at 5 members (although, I don't think we'll ever permantently close the door to new members) and GWO IV is just a few very short weeks away, in Lafayette, Indiana, Erica's city.

What is so great about this group, this tradition, is unconditional love. I love when we get together and immensely look forward to every trip that is coming up. It isn't about shopping or partying, or being without guys, although we do all of those things. It's about being together. We can look past each other's imperfections and offer support and therapy for each other's souls. It doesn't matter to us if your thigh's jiggle (or look like a supermodel's). We don't care if you are "on" or "off" your diet. We don't care if you are PMSing or if everything is going perfect. We are there for each other.

This group has already been through a lot together. We met through a wedding. Four of us are married and one is single. Two of us are in the process of trying for children (although it's taking both longer than expected). One is in school working on a master's degree (while working a full time job, teaching). One of us has had plastic surgery (hence the supermodel leg reference). One of us has had a miscarriage. One of us had to watch her baby sister get pregnant and have a miscarriage while trying for a baby of her own. One of us has had to deal with her sister being addicted to Heroin and being in a rehab facility for a year. One of us had to watch her brother go to Iraq while he left a pregnant wife at home to give birth without him. One of us has lost several extended family members this year. But through it all, we've stayed friends and have always got each other.

I feel blessed and priviledged to know and be able to call each of them friends.

We're working on a motto, "Through rain or snow, married or single, near or far, children or lack of, tears or laughter, miscarriages, surgeries, depression, death of loved ones, births, new homes, and new careers...we will be friends. Forever, GWO will go on." Maybe it still needs some work, but the point is. I love my friends and hope we we all be friends forever.