THE GLUE THAT THE SUMMER HEAT CAN'T MELT
Women's Friendships, A Trip Home To Louisiana, 4 Things Worth Sharing, Ron's World, and more...
Summer in the South is not for the faint of heart.
As temperatures rise everywhere the South seems to shoulder the worst of it. At least in the USA. The notoriously high temps combined with the humidity of the summer create a sweltering wet blanket of radiating heat in my hometown of Shreveport, LA. It’s hard to describe it unless you’ve experienced it. If you know, you know.
GIRL GLUE
I can say with great confidence that my Louisiana girlfriends embody a certain kind of resilience. Surviving the summer each year is in part, I’m quite sure, responsible for their equally notorious sense of humor and love of conversation. We are, after all, forced to spend the majority of the summer indoors to escape the heat, and we like to complain about it. You’ve just gotta laugh to get through it. I know because I lived in Shreveport for 30+ years. I developed some of my closest and abiding friendships there.
I just returned from a weeklong visit and let me tell you, laughter and heart-filling conversation were not in short supply. Yes, the heat was brutal but the reunions were worth it.
One day last week, I left the house ( yes, I went outside!) to stand at the curb to wait for my friend Judy. She was going to give me a ride to Jaya’s house for dinner. In less than 30 seconds, I started to sweat.
Fortunately, Judy’s car pulled up in less than a minute.
With a smile as bright as that afternoon sun, she bounded out of the car for a long-awaited hug. We squealed like school girls after a long summer break and embraced. It had been a year since we’d seen each other in person. We couldn’t stop smiling and hugging one another. She then took me by the shoulders to look me deep in the eyes and said something like, “I just want to look at you. You’re here! In 3-D!” We stood there taking in the reality that we were actually together in person. It felt so good. We didn’t even notice the heat. Friendship has superpowers.
It just so happens to be Judy’s birthday today. Happy birthday, Judy! Give her a shout-out in the comments!
My five days in Louisiana were filled with many sweet reunions. I was energized by the faces I love and the spaces that hold memories I cherish. I met friends for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners (in air-conditioned restaurants and homes) filling my heart’s cup to overflowing.
I celebrated a belated birthday dinner with my family. I drove by my former homes and tended to the graves of my ancestors.
Throw in a bit of shopping, lots of Mexican food, Elvis the movie ( GO SEE IT), foot massages, a flat tire, birthday gifts and cake, pecan pie, a lost and finally recovered jean jacket, meeting Darla’s sweet dad, and classic Southern Maid donuts, and you’ve got a decent summary of my time there. But mostly laughter, so much laughter. And so much love.
Of course, I couldn’t see everyone, but I did my utmost to soak up as many 3-D LIVE AND IN PERSON conversations as I could. While I adore the little mountain town where we live now, I do miss my old friends who know me well and love me well.
During all those years of enduring blistering summers and wet winters together, enjoying the beautiful autumns and spectacular springtimes, we forged lasting bonds of friendship that continue to this day. Gratefully, our connection continues to sustain and strengthen us even miles apart, with each passing season, with each passing year. Women's friendships might just be the glue that holds the world together.
Is there anything sweeter than a long-awaited reunion with family and friends? I came away happy and grateful to have been present and profoundly moved by the continual unfolding of our shared stories and the history of our lasting bonds.
I took a lot of photos, and I could post many more, but here’s a quick smattering of photos from the trip.
4 THINGS WORTH SHARING:
I wanted to bring home a bit of Louisiana flair to my Colorado home. I bought a beautiful ceramic platter painted with crawfish and lemons from the Holy Angels Gift Shop. In the AngelWorks Creative Arts Enterprise clients can fully express their creative energy while creating visual art in a variety of forms. Shop their most popular products online!
After all the amazing food and sweets I enjoyed while in Shreveport, I can tell my body is ready for a bit of a reboot. For the next 7-10 days, I will be doing a gentle cleanse. It’s perfect timing for me because I am also preparing for a week in Albuquerque studying with The Living School. I will be sharing my progress and notes on the cleanse daily on my Instagram stories. If you’d like to follow along, join me here
RIP JAMES CAAN (1940-2022)
My acting technique is to look up at God just before the camera rolls and say, give me a break! - James Caan
4. Yogi Chamomile teabag for the win.
RON’S WORLD
The daddy-daughter team continues to enjoy making videos and now they’ve designed a fan-requested “Look Her In The Eyes Tour” t-shirt based on one of Ron’s statements during the Heard-Depp trial. How cute are these two?
I’ll see you next week, friends.
xoxo Mary
So happy you braved the hot weather and cold water for hoaloha adventures. And the Meg/Pool Boy picture is adorable!