We Are Women

There were eight of us.  Among all eight of us, we have nineteen children.  We went away for the weekend.  Without the kids.

Hence, the margaritas.  Hence, the smiles.  Hence, the rocked out, fashionable, made up versions of us. 

We are women!  We weren't answering to our children.  And they weren't answering to their husbands.  Their husbands just said, "Go.  Have fun.  I got this."   I was in complete shock all weekend over it. 

"You mean, your husbands said, 'okay, go away, no problem, I'll take the kids' without making you feel terrible and guilty?"  They all nodded their heads like, "Uh, yeah, that's marriage."

"You mean to tell me that you're not going to suffer for this little get-away the minute you walk in the door, and fight about it for a month?"

"No Carrie.  We are married, our spouses share in the responsibilities and want us to be happy..."  Again, the puzzled looks.

"Okay, wait a minute.  What did you promise in return for this?"

"Nothing."

And I watched them.  I observed them.  They talked to their husbands, laughing, intimate.  There wasn't a hint of guilt coming from them.  Of course, they missed their kids but they were also so confident about having them with their husbands.  They weren't worried at all about the repercussions! 

Honestly, if I were still married, I wouldn't have been on the trip.  I would have said no because the repercussions would have been too great.  If I had gone, I would have been miserable because I wouldn't have gotten the, "No honey, it's all fine.  Have a great time!" Not before, not during and certainly not after, and it blows me away, sadly, that when I went away, the kids were with me or I didn't go away or I caught hell for it, even for book club once a month on Tuesdays! 

"So, this is a healthy marriage, then?"

"Yes Carrie.  And one day, you'll see that."

I think I have more baggage in my weekend suitcase then they do.

We laughed.  We giggled.  We shopped.  We drank champagne.  We cooked great meals.  We laughed.  We giggled.  We danced until the wee hours of the morning in the middle of the living room.  The ocean was maybe, two hundred feet away and so we appreciated God even more.  We said Grace before dinner.  We were thankful.  And we laughed.  And we giggled.

Weird thing about all of it is that I only really knew one girl (Amy) of the seven girls I shared the house with, and by the second hour, I had made six more close friends.  Now I know that the next time I see them, we will laugh and we will giggle, and we will share.  It was one of the best weekends I have ever had without the kids.

And I came home and didn't have an ounce of guilt and answered to no one.

That is so weird...