On a Friday night at the beginning of August, I went to the Carver County Fair with three friends....all of us women of divorce. Life after divorce can be quite an adventure, and we were quite a group. One of us had trouble walking, one had trouble hearing, and I had trouble staying awake. Luckily the youngest was in great shape and kept us moving!

We ate. We looked at horses, cows, goats, and sheep. We ate. We looked at beautiful floral arrangements and colorful quilts. We ate. And we laughed and laughed.

Friendship heals and comforts and is a precious medicine for the soul.

We hear much about self-care, especially during divorce. We are instructed to eat well, exercise, get enough sleep, and keep our attitudes positive so we can move forward. There seems to be such a rush to move forward, and sometimes this all seems like simply too much work.

Instead of moving forward, Friday felt like going back in time, remembering fairs we attended when we were young, how we loved horses, and how we used to be able to eat a lot more before our stomachs got upset!

At the end of the evening I was calmer, more hopeful, more light-hearted, and more trusting that there is still so much joy to be found in life.

During my divorce, joy seemed, maybe not lost, but so very far away. And with all the other losses of that time, I had also lost those friends who felt they had to choose sides and so decided to remain connected to my ex.

But extraordinary new friends have appeared to join the other dear women who have always supported me. When I focus too much on work and the practical pieces of life, they bring me with them out into the world...to fairs and on boat rides and to shopping adventures.

Their presence in my life gives me energy, confidence, encouragement and is a powerful force of healing. These gifts are wating for each of us whenever we reach out to a friend.