Friends Help You Beat Stress
Saturday was an amazing day!
The morning was spent running errands with my husband, the noontime hour was spent sitting on my front steps reading a good novel, and the afternoon was spent having tea with friends.
Ahhhh…
Wait a minute… I don’t drink tea. I don’t like tea. What was I doing spending a Saturday afternoon having tea??
Fortunately for me, Milliken House in Saco, Maine, offered hot mulled cider as an alternative to many different flavors of tea and coffee.
More importantly to me, though, was their selection of fine desserts. Yum yum! Although the COW (cake of the week) was a tempting Boston Cream Pie, I opted for four layers of chocolate cake and a thick, rich icing. This delectable treat was called The Tower of Babel. Double yum!
Anyway… while the cider and chocolate cake were a sight for deprived taste buds… the highlight of the afternoon was sitting quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) with five wonderful women. (I have to be careful not to call them girls!)
It was so nice to unload many of my current stresses. It was nice to hear words of comfort and support. It was nice to have them laugh at (and with) me when I’m taking life too seriously. These friends helped me find perspective again.
In an historic old Victorian home, in an informal library setting, I stepped away from my day-to-day life for a couple of hours and just enjoyed the company of my friends.
For the rest of Saturday and all day Sunday I replayed conversations and stories we shared.
I imagined Lynda’s run-in with her neighbor and the handsome Cape Elizabeth policeman who came to her rescue. I imagined Linda driving around in circles so that she could pass by another (or perhaps the same) handsome Cape Elizabeth police officer. We’ve decided that C.E. needs to create a calendar for us! 
The stress level in my life has increased hugely in recent weeks. With the approaching holidays I don’t see an end in sight for the demands on my time, energy and focus. But Saturday provided a brief respite for me.
And from what the other women said, the time away was needed by all.
When you feel stress building up, if your shoulders are feeling tight or if you head is starting to ache… escape for an hour or two with a friend. You may think you can’t take the time away from whatever it is that’s consuming your time, but I promise you you’ll feel better if you do. You’ll feel reconnected with your friend and you’ll feel reconnected with yourself.
Let me know how it goes!
