No, I don’t have any sisters…well, not blood-related sisters that is.

Last night, I was out for dinner at Ding Tai Fung at First Markham Place in Markham, Ontario (yummy Shanghai style dim sum in a nicer atmosphere but pricier than some other places I’ve been) with two of my best girlfriends – my 37 week pregnant girlfriend got hit with a bad cold and bowed out.  We try to get together at least once a month but it’s become more challenging over the years – each of us is married, most of us have kids and we all have many work and family commitments.  This evening was scheduled over 6 weeks ago – it was the first available date that we were all free!

We first met in high school and we have been friends for over 25 years (please don’t do the math – yes, we are getting older but trust me, fortunately we do not look it – we are blessed with Asian genes).  Those were the years when we cemented our bonds – we would meet daily, sometimes at our communal locker to watch crushes go by or at the donut shop across the street.  We shared classes and spares, crammed for exams together and experienced lots of firsts – first kiss, first loves, first heartbreaks, to name a few.  They know my secrets and guard them better than the Royal Jewels.  They know what I am thinking and can respond with a look.

Since high school, we have taken separate paths as well as had our share of challenges – we split off to different universities.  After graduation, The Girls found jobs and the loves of their lives.  I went on to post-undergraduate school in the snow belt of Ontario. They each got married and moved further into the suburbs while I had many first dates living the single life in my trendy downtown condo.  It may seem that I led such a “sexy” life during that time period – but The Girls knew that I longed to be part of their club.  Often times, our separate busy lives left us little time to see one another, never mind confide in one another but we would always find a way to connect.

These are The Girls who know the good, the bad and the REALLY ugly and yet, they accept me the way I am with my strengths and my shortcomings.  They listen without judgment and will tell me the truth that sometimes I don’t want to hear.  They celebrate my successes and cry at my disappointments.   I can’t imagine where I would be without them as they helped shaped me to be the person I am today.

People from our past often remark that it’s amazing that we have not only kept in touch but that we have remained friends for so long.  Not really, I think, after all, we are more than friends, we are sisters, we are family…and you don’t lose your family.

This post is dedicated to the three lovely ladies who know me the best and the longest.

With love…Care xo