My darling friends

Today was a friend bonanza. It was so fun! Julie and her newest baby, Caleb, who is three and a half months old, got in last night. By some fluke Clarissa was also awake, so we introduced them to each other.

By this point Clarissa was trying to joyfully claw Caleb, and Caleb was a little scared. Julie and I pulled the babies apart as Abe took the pic.

Julie and I stayed up past midnight discussing my favorite topics of late, sex, religion, and, occasionally, the intersection of the two. It was so fun, even though we were both dying of fatigue.

Julie has four kids, and her husband is the bishop on top of his insanely demanding job. Julie and I have been chatting online a lot recently, and we didn’t realize an in-person reunion was just around the corner! It’s been so wonderful.

My darling friend, Heather, also came over with her daughter, Olivia, this morning. We had the most wonderful conversations about motherhood. I love friends that are willing to be vulnerable for the sake of connectivity. We all bonded over our individual frustrations and weaknesses–and it turns out that the hard parts of life which make us feel alone and crazy are exactly the parts of life which bond us most to each other.

In the afternoon I had a wonderful visit with my neighbor, Laurie. We also have a deep bond, and we catch up regularly on our mutual struggles and occasional victories.

In fact, I was so plugged in to these wonderful women that by the end of the day I was…on my period. I haven’t had this happen since October. I honestly think it is because I felt so perfectly connected and deeply in tune with my beloved friends.