Why I love...girlfriends!

Welcome to installment number two of "Why I love..." Today, I love my girlfriends. Yes, that statement just came from the lips...er, fingers...of Crys McDonald.
A little over two years ago I barely even had girlfriends, finding myself much more at home in a construction shop surrounded by the "prove your worth" machismo of boys...sorry, men. I loved being able to hold my own among them, being challenged every day because there was always someone who didn't think I could hack it, and then surprising the heck out of them when I did! And they would show their acceptance of me by being comfortable enough to grab themselves in my presence or by holding me to the same expectations of every other guy. They had cool nicknames for me like "Queen Bee", and I'm sure some less appropriate ones that I never heard. And while they often had physical advantages over me in that environment, every now and then the fact that I was the smallest and lightest would come in handy, or a project would come along that just needed a softer, more intricate touch. The fact that I was the same as them yet stood out as someone totally different excited and motivated me.
But I've also learned to love being around girlfriends just as much, if not more. They unquestioningly accept me for who I am without needing to prove it, and understand me like no other guy ever could. They challenge me in different ways, but because of them I've grown more than I ever could without them. And I still enjoy proving myself to people and surprising them with the things I know or can do. But with my girlfriends, if I fail to meet a challenge or "prove" myself, that doesn't change their opinion or acceptance of me. They don't know me for what I can do, but who I am according to what's in my heart. They aren't comfortable enough around me to grab themselves...but instead they are comfortable enough to cry in front of me and share their own heart. They don't hold me to the same expectations as everyone else...but instead to what they know I am capable of even when I don't believe it myself. But strangely enough, just like the guys, they see that I am the same as them, yet I stand out as someone totally different, and they embrace both unquestioningly and without judgement.

I was reminded of these things this weekend at Amanda Johnson's wedding reception. I was riding home with Kara and Sara and we had been ridiculously goofy all night. Building wedding cake sculptures, lip-synching into water bottles, and taking silly pictures with the disposable cameras at the table! On the way home while we were giggling and singing terribly at the top of our lungs to whatever song came on the radio, I stopped for a second to realize how much fun I was having. Which sounds weird...stop having fun to realize how much fun your having...but for just a moment I reflected on how lucky I am to have such incredible friends, but most of all such incredible girlfriends that know me so well and are just as ridiculously dorky as I am! So to all my girlfriends, this blog's for you!