There is nothing better for my soul than having an episode of laughter that erupts deep from my belly, springs out through happy tears and finishes off with shoulders bobbing up and down only to erupt again in uncontrollable fits of more giggling that simply cannot be suppressed.

This silliness is pure gold.

It doesn’t happen all too often for me – certainly not on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis.  It’s kind of rare for me to get into that seriously silly head space. So when does it happen?

I get those kinds of care-free, cleansing bouts of laughter when I get together with my closest friends or family and am in that safe-zone where my subconscious knows I have permission to let it go…free to be me.

Recently I got to do just that with a group of Latvian girlfriends during our annual girls’ weekend.  We are 10 women that have known each other since our youth and have been getting together once a year every fall for the past 20 years.  Yup, for 20 years! Needless to say, we are like a posse, partners in crime. And for one weekend a year we gather for a celebration of our friendship and each other.

There is nothing like getting to be a relaxed version of yourself and indulge in doing things that are fun, silly, and ultimately uplifting to your soul.

What do we do that is so fun, silly and uplifting?  Well the easy answer is we make it fun by doing entertaining things like:

Stay in a house together in a different destination each year, go wine tasting, take beach walks or hike mountain trails, lounge in hot tubs, make incredible meals, eat at nice restaurants, hang in down-home type bars, sip fancy drinks in posh bars, get spa treatments, dance in our jammies and sing favorite songs and enjoy lots of vino, champagne, and cocktails…

But if I dare to delve deeper – I will tell you the ultimate reason girls’ weekends revitalize our spirits isn’t our participation in various planned activities or our indulgence in good food and libations… It is simply that we are all together.

Not to take away the importance of the bond we feel while having a dance party in our p.j.s  or imbibing in drinks until we are tipsy or let’s face it maybe even totally sloshed.

But I find that for me, the most meaningful moments during our weekend are found in a shared conversation that can be about the good things that have happened during the year as well as the shitty stuff life can throw your way.  These talks often occur while quietly doing the dishes at the end of the evening, or brushing your teeth in the bathroom, sitting on an air mattress on the floor.

These are the moments we receive and give compassion to each other. We give each other our strength. Each of us gets a yearly shot in the arm of a potion that seeps into the brain and tells you: “You can do this.” or “This too shall pass.”  or “Rock on Girlfriend!”

As we have grown older our hot button issues have changed throughout the years. Early on the focus was more on: finding the right job, cute boyfriend, sense of fashion style, right city to live in.

Now we deal with topics like: finding the right wrinkle-repair, good book to read, comfortable wardrobe, right city where to retire.

And through our collective experience over the years we have witnessed a spectrum of life events fit for any Lifetime Channel Movie.

From:

• Finding “Mr. Right For Me” — Dumping “Mr. Wrong For Most”
• Losing a dress size — Gaining  many belly pounds (Emmer Effing Menopause)
• Liking our jobs — Wanting a change in our jobs, possibly in a whole other direction
• Enjoying our kids — Lamenting about hormonal teenagers wreaking havoc on our psyche or how their college expenses suck our bank accounts dry.
• Worrying about our parents’ health —Focusing on our own aging brains and bodies.

But let’s not dwell on such serious matters. I want to share with you that this group is beyond fun to be a part of. As all of us are in our 50’s, except one baby 48-year old, we have had hilarious things to share over the years.  Important stuff like:

• How to make the best signature cocktails (important to any dinner party with a theme).
• The correct word for the white stuff you scrape off inside peppers is the placenta.  Who knew?
• You don’t have to buy canned air to fill an air mattress. 🙂
• You can spice up your sex life with Reynolds Foil Wrap and a tune.
• Just because you can keep drinking lemon drop martinis doesn’t mean you should.
• Yes, it may be scary to pop that champagne cork, but you can do it! 
• A woman in her 50’s can rock out to hip music the youngsters are listening to.  
• Flight delays aren’t always a bad thing if you have good company and a restaurant/bar nearby. 
• Pink Pajamas are Joy! 

My hubby always asks me, “What really goes on during your girls’ weekends?” I know he is looking for a salacious response like “topless pillow-fights” or “nudie sunbathing”…But I always tell him the truth:

We talk, we eat, we drink, we dance, we sing, we cry, we laugh… but most of all…we care for each other, accept each other and hold dear the friendship that brings us all together year after year.

For me, it is a weekend I look forward to not only because I will be able to catch up in-person with dear friends I don’t get to see often, but because I know before the weekend is out, I will be lucky enough to get those silly giggles that I swear is better than any medicinal therapy. And that is priceless to me.

So girls, until next fall!! xoxo

Meitenas – Lidz nakamam rudenim!!xoxo

Love you!

Ieva

“Laughter is a sunbeam of the soul.”
― Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain