Best Friends in the World

Call me lucky. I have the best friends on the planet. On my birthday--Income Tax Day--I received quite possibly the meanest email of my entire life, and no, it wasn't from the IRS. A few days later, my girlfriends threw me a surprise party at Frenchy's: pedicures for all.

I walked into the spa, filled with my friends...and--duh!--it didn't occur to me that every single one of my StrataGem group was there...for ME I'm sure it was comical how stunned I was that my girls were all in one place, a miracle of champagne! And strawberries! And chocolates! And treats! And so, so, so much love.

Above are Cindy--little miss FBI. And Miss Molly, finance guru.

And Niki (TV producer!) and Julie (anchorwoman!) and Kim (graphic designer!). And there's me (stupefied!).

And then, on a very hard day, Martha Brockenbrough met me for a writing date, bought me tea and a little cakey birthday treat. And then let me write my heart out next to her until I felt better. Now, that's a friend.

Today, I feel grateful for women who are there when a friend needs them to be.