Note from Shasta: For Friendship Month this September I've invited some women to guest blog for me, adding their voices and experiences to our journey. We launch our guest blogs with Danielle LaPorte of White Hot Truth (bio at the end!). Thanks Danielle for giving voice in such an awesome way!------------------------------
an ode to girlfriends everywhere
girlfriend, i adore you. like, insanely, madly, infinitely, priceless diamond, cosmic shiny adore you. it's crazy how much i adore you.
you told me to dump the chump.
i cut my bangs way too short before a job interview. you told me to wear a low cut blouse to distract from the nasty haircut. i got the job.
you're happy for me. always.
you remember. everything. you're the encyclopaedia of...me.
you made the appointment for me. you waited in the car. we drove home in silence.
you make sure my burritos come with an extra side of sour cream, and you order pizzas with mushrooms only on half.
you took me to the coast when i needed it most.
when i thought the pain would kill me, you reminded me that i wouldn't die of a broken heart.
you told that bastard to fuck off so that i didn't have to.
you drove the moving van. in your first trimester. while barfing at truck stops. you never once complained.
you very gently suggested that maybe one pair of shoulder pads was sufficient.
you called in sick for me when really, I was partying on the band's bus headed for Buffalo.
you didn't make me wear taffeta to your wedding.
you lent me $200 bucks that made all the difference between rent and groceries that month. you tucked it into my purse when i wasn't looking to save me the humiliation.
you held my hand when i got my tattoos, and my wisdom teeth out, and my first really expensive pair of shoes.
you babysat so that i could be with my mother when she was dying.
you dared me and then said: if you don't trust you, trust me.
my baby was two days old. you came over and scrubbed my kitchen floor, made a lemon loaf, and rocked the baby so that i could take a nap, but i didn't sleep. instead, you and i just stared at the baby on the bed, together.
you bring me trashy magazines and don't judge me for loving them.
you coax me out of my own brain. make me stop working and have fun. and you have no idea what I do for a living.
you are how i know god is real. you are my heart honey. my harbor. my metric of faith. my fresh water source. my soul sherpa.
girlfriend, i could not, would not do this without you.
not ever.
you, girlfriend. you.
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Danielle LaPorte is the creator of WhiteHotTruth.com, which has been called "the best place on-line for kick-ass spirituality." She is the author of The Spark Kit: A Digital Experience for Entrepreneurs, an inspirational speaker, and a former think tank executive. Her next book, The Fire Starter Sessions: A Guide to Blazing Your Own Trail in Life & Work, launches in April 2012 from Random House. You can find her on Twitter @daniellelaporte