I Walk With These Women

It's a weekday morning on a mild winter day and I am walking my dog in a giant loop around the local cranberry bogs.   I am walking behind a group of women, who also happen to be walking their dogs.   I do not know these particular women.

My dog is playing with their dogs so even though I am not part of their group, I am nearby and can't help but overhear their conversation.   The women are all around the same age as I am, they come in different shapes and sizes and have varying shades of gray in their hair.   They are at ease with each other.   These women have known each other for a long time.   It is easy to see that.   The banter is quick, and conversation flows easily from one topic to the next.  There is no need for explanations.  These women have raised babies together, they have sat on soccer fields, in school auditoriums, and in each other's kitchens.   They know each other's spouses and they probably know things about those spouses that the spouses would rather they didn't know.    They know each other's children intimately.   They have changed their diapers, babysat, and carpooled for years.   They know which kid has ADD, which kid is on the spectrum, which kid is a genius, and which kid is not a genius but his mother would like to think he is.   They take care of each other's pets when they go on vacation and they keep an eye on things, all the time.

I walk with these women.

I do not know this group of women at all but if I had to guess, I would guess that at least one of them has a special needs child, at least one is taking care of an elderly parent, at least one is battling cancer, and at least one has lost a partner to disease or divorce.   Unfortunately, the odds are in the favor of some, if not all, of these things being true.  They are not talking about these things today.
They are talking about their teenagers that make them crazy and spouses that leave dirty socks on the floor.  They are talking about the new coffee place that isn't so good.   They are talking about whether or not they are going to run that 5K in the spring.   They are talking about their kids wisdom teeth.  They talk about college, admissions and cost.  They are talking about their dogs.

I walk with these women.

At the end of the walk they say quick, casual goodbyes.  They will see each other tomorrow after all.  There is no need for hugs or lingering goodbyes.   They hop in their cars and speed off in different directions, time to get the day going, whatever that means for each individual.

They might see or talk to each other over the course of the day in different capacities.   Maybe they'll carpool each other's kids or see each other at a concert.   They might help bring an aging mother to a doctor's appointment.  They might call each other and fret over an unexpected, unwanted call from the school.  They might talk each other through how to sign their kid up for SATs on-line.  They might share a gluten-free, sugar-free, taste-free recipe.   They might cry to each other over a kid that just won't /can't/didn't.  Maybe they will worry with each other over a frustrating health setback.  They might ask each other what to do with a kid who has anxiety/acne/heartbreak or a bad grade in math. They might even text each other in the wee hours of the night, wondering, with the aid of emojis, if they are just absolutely screwing everything up!!!!!!!!!!! (now who does that ;))

And tomorrow they will walk together again.
They will walk together every. damn. day.
I am sure of it.

After all,

I walk with these women.