My Posse and My Wolfpack

Very few 40-something women are able to say that they still keep in touch with their best friends from high school. I’m not talking about Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets. I’m talking about real, live, face-to-face interaction on a regular basis. Well, I hit the best friend lottery because I have a posse I’ve run with for 30+ years.

The “Posse on Broadway”…or at the lockers

Back in our early days, we listened to a lot of hip-hop and rap. Ironically, that is one of my least favorite music genres now. One of our favorite albums to listen to was Sir Mix-a-Lot’s Swass, and on that album was the song, “Posse on Broadway.” We listened to it so much that we decided we were a posse ourselves and then forever became THE Posse.

As usually happens, my fellow Posse members and I have all gotten married and have families of our own that take up most of our time, as they should. We’ve lived through weddings, births, funerals, affairs and divorces. The one thing in common at every one of those major life events is that no matter where we’ve been individually in life, we’ve always come back together in those times of both happiness and sorrow. PJ was physically beside me when my mom died when we were 16 and went with me to the hospital where I was told she had passed. She, Mimi and Liesel were there for me every single day for months afterwards to make sure I was ok.

We were all there and involved in the first Posse wedding and stayed up all night waiting for the birth of the first Posse baby, who is now grown up, attending college and has a boyfriend of her own. She is the age her momma was when she got married, and while I’m thrilled she is happy and in love, I pray she takes her time and enjoys her youth before making the same decision.

Posse baby #1 and her new boyfriend

This past Saturday, I had the pure joy of being able to spend the better part of the day and night with my Posse sisters. PJ has lived in various parts of the country for many years with her army husband and two gorgeous daughters. Our precious bond has never been broken, and every year when she is home to visit family we have a posse reunion. Every Christmas we also gather, even if PJ cannot make it home.

This visit home was for her parents’ 50^th wedding anniversary. Wow! That is so rare these days, and I was thrilled to be able to share in the celebration. After we all pitched in to help clean up after the party, we reconvened at Mimi’s house. Even though our collective kids range in age from 9-19, they always have a blast when we get together as well. PJ’s husband has commented in the past that every time we see each other, no matter how much time has passed since our last visit, we pick right back up where we left off, like we’d never been apart.

I know that if I ever needed ANYTHING in life, my Posse sisters will be there for me. Liesel even took me in last fall when my ex and I split until I could get moved in to my new place. Mimi took me in briefly, as well, when my kiddo’s dad and I split up several years ago. I cannot imagine my life without these women in it.

I’m doubly blessed to have found another group of women as an adult who are also like sisters to me. They are my Wolfpack. Ironically enough, I also graduated from high school with either these women or their husbands. The difference from the Posse is that we did not become close until our 20-year reunion.

My Wolfpack

I was able to spend time with my Wolfpack this weekend as well as my Posse. A band was performing in the community outdoors, and we gathered for some fabulous local music and camaraderie. We then ventured a few blocks away to a local restaurant to enjoy dinner and drinks before parting ways. We had a fabulous time as well, and since Rugrat was at a sleepover, I headed with a couple of others to the local pub for Friday night karaoke. Knowing I had a full day with my Posse the next day, I didn’t stay late, but had a blast that evening with my Wolfpack gals.

These women, along with a few others in the extended Wolfpack family are also ones that I can ask anything of and confide in when needed. Three of us have kids ages 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 15. Others have grown kids, and some have grandkids. We all have different needs at different times, but we have truly become that “village” for one another, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Any one of us feels comfortable disciplining another’s child when necessary and our kids listen to the other mothers more than their own sometimes.

It was an utterly amazing weekend catching up with old and not so old friends, and I wish I could do it much more often. Unfortunately, jobs, families and life in general tends to keep our gatherings few and far between, but until next time ladies, “Cheers to the Freakin’ Weekend”!

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