Sweet Harmony

As much as I love celebrating birthdays, I always winced a bit when it was time to sing the traditional Happy Birthday song. It might be the most frequently badly sung song in our culture. This time, when my women friends gathered around the table and the cake candles were lit, there was a pause and ... gorgeous, lilting song! I knew from the first few words that this was going to be extraordinary.  It was, quite simply, the most beautiful rendition I have ever heard. Voices rising and falling, harmonies blending, lovely serene faces, radiating a unity and power that lifted me up on high. I cried. All the hugs afterward turned those tears to a happy smile.

Birthday Smiles

I had looked, truly looked, at each of their faces as they sang and realized what renaissance women these are. There were sculptors, fiber artists, painters, gardeners, equestrians, gardeners, gourmet cooks, bakers, yarn artists, poets, writers, singers, musicians, and healers present. Some of the women walk marathons, practice yoga, do Pilates and synchronized swimming, and meditate regularly. They are all seekers, embracers of possibility, creative to the bone. They are all kind, loving women who struggle to find time to honor their muses while maintaining peace and harmony in their homes and work places. And they can sing!

I had a lifetime of doing everything with my ex husband, being part of a couple, socializing with other couples. I had girlfriends but with them did things like shopping or perhaps an occasional craft project. Since my divorce, I have embraced women friends in a new way. I prioritize time with them. And all the things I have longed to talk about, the intimate sharing of hopes and dreams, the nurturing of creative possibilities, the things you need another woman to hear and understand, I now have and do. The harmony in the singing reflects well the new harmony in my life. I am able to relate to others without the restrictions I felt during my marriage. I am changing, growing and starting to feel more at home in this body, in this life.