“An old friend will help you move. A good friend will help you move a dead body.” — Jim Hayes

“Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don’t say.” — Source Unknown

“A friend is someone who will bail you out of jail. A best friend is the one sitting next to you saying “boy was that fun.” — The Maugles

“A friend is someone with whom you dare to be yourself.”  — Frank Crane

My friends and I have started a Friday morning breakfast club of sorts – “the Real Housewives of Suburbia, Midwest”.  However, these four housewives are actually real friends and support each other.  It would not make for good television – it would be similar to this “TV” Show as described in The Onion: New David Simon Project To Investigate Happy, Upper-Middle-Class Streets Of Wilmette, IL May 15, 2010 | ISSUE 46•19 (gotta love The Onion!).

Two of the breakfast buddies have been friends of mine since my freshman year in college (27 years!) and the third breakfast buddy is a neighbor that we’ve known since about 2000-ish.  Our usual means of getting together was going out for an evening of eating, drinking and marathon-talking.  But, since all of us have 3 (or more) offspring with growing time-sucking demands, the chances that all of us are free on the same evening has become as likely as seeing a pig fly.  So, now it’s french toast with a side of bacon and coffee on Fridays (my usual). YUM!

I refer to this weekly get-together as my Therapy Group – I really need it!  I recommend it for everyone – it’s better than prozac (no side effects) and cheaper than traditional group therapy.

These aren’t just ANY friends, these are the people who:

Know all of your junk and still want to hang out with you

Call you to the carpet when you are being a complete b!tch, nimrod, wackadoo, etc.

Humor you and listen to your rants (even when they are non-sensical)

Support you through all of life’s trials and tribulations (major and minor)

Force you to expand your horizons

Push you to consider alternate views

Do the Dr. Phil and tell you to “Get Real”

Make you laugh to the point of tears

The group is not only for me, but for my husband as well!  Noooo,  he’s not invited to the actual therapy sessions, but he receives residual benefits from the group.  Since some of you don’t really know me, ummm, I’ll admit it and just say it, “I can be an handful”. 

Harry Burns (or Mike):   “There are two kinds of women: high maintenance and low maintenance.”
Sally Albright (or Jenni):   “Which one am I? “
Harry Burns (or Mike):  “You’re the worst kind. You’re high maintenance but you think you’re low maintenance.”

When Harry Met Sally is my favorite movie of ALL time.  One of the multitude of reasons is that I can relate (a lot) to Sally in this movie (the way she orders food, puts letters  in the mailbox, etc.) – she is a kindred spirit.

This Group saves lives (not like an EMT, but you know what I mean), keeps me sane and keeps my hubby sane – it’s all good!

Here’s to Friday Morning Therapy!