In honour of my book club

...or really, in honour of the wonderful women in my book club.

I'd love to write a novel about them. I know, I know, it's been done before - and anyway I'm not sure they'd necessarily appreciate their trials, tribulations, joys and triumphs being put down on paper and shared with the world - but still. They are an amazing group, and there are not many things in my life that can take precedence over my monthly get-together with them all.

I've lost track of how long I've been going to book club - maybe 5 or 6 years now, maybe more - but every month brings something new. Often it's a fresh and wonderful book to dive into, but of equal importance to me is the opportunity to catch a glimpse into the lives of each of these awesome women.

There's something about seeing most of them only once a month that intensifies the experience, somehow. It's like we each open the window of our lives during that evening, and let everyone else look inside. Just for a moment. Then the window closes for another month until we're together once again.

It's an interesting group. A wide range of personalities, backgrounds, and professions. I suppose we're mostly 40-something or older. Some of us are married with kids, some of us are single with no kids, and some of us are somewhere in between. There's no real Alpha female in the goup, which is a Good Thing. I do hear tell of one Wellington book club where the resident Alpha female has actually driven people away - in fact I think one or two of our members might be refugees from that very group - so I think we're all quite grateful for the mix of people we've ended up with.

Over the past howevermanyyearsitis we've experienced our share of births, deaths and marriages, hook-ups and break-ups, sickness and good health - either personally or with those we love. I suppose it's no more or less than any other group, but because of the once-a-month intensity thing, it does sometimes seem that our combined lives are rather full of dramas, both good and bad.

My dear friend Mary is going through a particularly tough time at the moment, and as I'm not the world's most reliable friend, I know in the past I've not always been there for her as much as she'd like. This time though I know she needs her mates around her, so Alice and I are planning to spend some time with her this weekend. Mary and I joined book club together, so I've known her for longer than I've known anyone else there. She's an important person in my life.

I know you don't spend much time online, Mary, and I don't suppose you read my blog, but I'm sending out my love to you anyway. If it hadn't been for you I wouldn't ever have joined book club, and I for that I owe you. You've brought me into contact with a great group of women, and I think my friendship with you has been enriched as a result.

Kia kaha my sweetie. I'll see you at the weekend.

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