Friendship Between Women

Last night was our Book Club meeting, and we were discussing the book Firefly Lane by: Kristin Hannah. It is such a good book. It's about 2 girls who become friends in the 70's in Jr. High School, and vow to be forever friends! Firefly Lane is the name of the street they grew up on, where they learned to dream! (And to scheme!)

It's so much fun to travel through the decades with these two. Starting in the 70's, and going through the 80's, the 90's & into the new Millennium. To reminisce about the clothes we all wore, (and some we wish we hadn't) the music that spoke so profoundly into our lives! To live again the Royal Wedding of Princess Diana. (For which I stayed up until all hours of the night to see the entire thing!) Luke & Laura getting married! ('nuf said on that one!) The fear that followed 9/11, and how it changed our entire country!

"That was what a best friend did:
hold up a mirror and show you your heart."

The friendship between Tully & Kate is powerful, full of fun & racked by tragedy: "The problem with forever friends is they know too much." "The thing about best friends, like sisters and mothers, they could piss you off and make you cry and break your heart, but in the end, when the chips were down, they were there, making you laugh even in your darkest hour."

This book is almost as much about Mothers and Daughters, as it is about Friendship. And as the mother of two girls about to enter their teenage years it was a bit scary for me in that aspect. You will definitely be reminded through this book that life is short & can change without warning at any moment!

We talked a lot about the choices we as women are faced with. These characters are part of the first generation really, that believed girls could grow up to be whatever they wanted to be! They could have it all! One wants to be a wife & mother, the other wants to be successful and have a career! And like I've Blogged before about the Stay-at-Home mom verses the Working Mom. (I have been both) And we had both, the mom who's at home & the mom who worked and made a career for herself while raising her kids, both who are really great moms, represented in our Book Club. And I wondered aloud again; Why can't we as women just support each other and the choices we each make? And I had an "Aha" moment thanks to this book! We see both sides of the coin here, they choose different paths that are each right for them, yet they both question if they've made the right choice, the one who gave up her career to stay home & raise her kids, misses being productive in her field. The one who chooses success & her career, is lonely and at times wonder's if she's missing something. And I realized that's why women belittle each other, they are questioning there own choices, and to make themselves feel better about their life choices, they put down others who have chosen differently! We each have so much to offer, we should be supporting each other, not tearing each other down. I can't believe I didn't see this before! We are not our label, we are Women!

We all really liked this book. If you read it have tissue handy, You will cry. You will laugh. You will get angry. You will be horrified. I will leave it at that . . .

So, our book club has read 5 books now. And in every single one so far someone has died. :( We're not morbid, really we're not, it's just that deep, moving books tend to deal with issues such as death and tragedy. So we've decided that for our next selection we would look for some lighthearted, fun summer reading. And I think we've found it:

Life on the same page Book club is reading Bikini Season by: Shiela Roberts. We will be meeting in August to discuss it. Get your giggle on & Happy Reading!