The Breakfast Club

I am a nerdy fan of the social sciences and love to read all the current research about what makes us human. I especially love all the recent studies about brains, well-being, and close relationships.  There's all sorts of weird numbers like the idea that each happy friend that you have increases your chance of happiness by 9%.  There's also research about the kinds of connections that you have with your friends and how those that meet certain criteria have been associated with greater mental health, greater overall well-being, and lengthier lives.  I think it's why women often live longer than men.  Women get together with the goal of having intimate conversations, while men tend to have different reasons if they do get together.  

So I've been thinking about all this since I had breakfast with some good friends this weekend.  These are the exact kinds of friends that research says will keep you healthy....the kind that you have made memories with, stories to retell, with you to celebrate the good times, support you in the hard times, make you feel safe and secure, make you laugh....whenever we get together there is lots of laughing and shrieking and sometimes tears, too.  But to me the greatest thing about friendships like these is that anything at all can come out of my mouth and they will not judge me in any way.  Whatever I say and feel is okay, and there is nothing like being yourself - your real authentic Self - not the polite self, not the self that has to censor what is said or how it's said, not the self that talks about some things and not others.  With these galpals, I can just be me.

On this particular morning a story came out of my mouth that I couldn't believe I'd said out loud.  It's one thing to think something in your head, but very different once you speak the words and send them out into the universe.  I was overwhelmed by it but they didn't bat an eye; they both hugged me and the looks on their faces said it all.  They got it.  They understood me and my emotion.  No judging.  They know me - the Real Me.  And they love me. 

So here's a little thank you for them and for all the amazing people in my life who are comfortable letting me be myself, especially right now when my Self can change so rapidly from moment to moment. 

Thank you for letting me be myself...(click this link.)