Girlfriends

Girlfriends are the best, and the lovely girls above are two of my very best.

Last night, the three of us gathered at a favorite local restaurants and did what  girlfriends do: talk, eat good food, laugh, try each others’ food, talk some more, drink wine, talk some more, complain about looking older, drink even more wine, get philosophical, and of course, finish with chocolate.

Irene arrived Sunday night from Rome where she’s been living an adventurous, busy life with a feral cat she rescued from starvation in a dirty Roman alley.

Lisa came in from the Ellicott City area, where she recently moved with her new husband to get all suburban on us.

I’ve known these women for a long time — Irene for 15 years, Lisa for 12 — and the three of us have had many adventures around the globe together. (Remember my story about getting stuck with heart palpitations in the Duomo in Florence?)

So last night we toasted recent milestones and tried to encourage each other and said goodbye with promises of prayer. It was just a reminder of how girlfriends are necessary for a healthy and meaningful life.