“Anne and her family lived alone on an island. She enjoyed having tea time with her friends the spiny lobster and baby hawk.”
~ National Geographic, August 1938
Today I’m attending an afternoon tea for one of my friends.
Perhaps you’re all thinking it shall be like this: glamorous well-frocked girls having the perfect time.
I’m sure the food will be beautiful, and the company heart-warming. We’re coming together to celebrate a milestone for one of our group, and to show our love and support, as friends do.
I’m really looking forward to catching up with everyone.
But today I also want to paint an honest portrait of our small group, so that you can appreciate the nature of friendship. And I’m also writing this in support of another dear friend who is battling with being in a difficult place in life right now, and who wrote yesterday that she was finding it difficult coping with the eternal optimism, happy-happy magical unicorns and dreams-come-true posts that are filling her facebook feed.
Photographs and posts seldom capture the energy that sits behind the snapshot of an event. So let me fill you in on ours.
The star of our afternoon tea came home with a limp and a scratchy throat last night, and may still be in questionable health today.
One of our party was released from hospital yesterday after an unexpected stay, and another of our number has recently been diagnosed with a serious virus that has laid her low and greatly slowed her down.
One girlfriend is completely under the hammer with work and deadlines, and has been flattened by stress.
One girlfriend has just lost her father.
I’m still reeling from the sudden death of my friend’s daughter and that intense week of psychic experiences, followed by the passing of a good friend a week ago whose death provoked a social media onslaught of judgment, nastiness and ignorance. On top of lyme playing havoc with my sleep, and leaving me ragged.
Why am I sharing this?
You might not be able to know these things by simply looking at us.
We might not be able to know these things by simply looking at you.
I also know you’ll relate. Haven’t you pulled yourself together, or made a big effort, or put that happy face on and pushed through at one time or another, because of the people you love? And most times we were glad we did.
Most of us are struggling a little right now. Haven’t you noticed that it’s crazy-time? As well as being the full moon. It’s the space we’re in energetically. It’s havoc and chaos and sadness and slow-down and obstruction. It’s big emotional stuff, and relationship stuff, and we’re all sitting in that energy and most of us are affected by it.
Despite that, and despite our own battles, a group of us will come together today and drink bubbles and cups of tea, and eat cake and sandwiches and assorted tasties. Because we care for each other. We love each other. And that’s what love does.
That’s actually the most delicious, nourishing and restorative thing of all.
Wherever you are today, know that I’m sending you love and wishing you well.
Bless xx
