School Video Warning: Nostalgia Ahead

A few weeks ago I got together with my old Grammar gang for a girls night in at my friend Kathy's amazing house (the views of the CBD are incredible). We do this a couple of times a year and there's always way too much food washed down with copious quantities of gossip, laughter and much love. Oh yes, and the odd cocktail.

I've said before that my friends are everything to me and this group of women hold such a special place in my heart. We met when we were 14 or 15 and essentially held each other's hands (and hair) back throughout that traumatic, ridiculously dramatic angsty period we call high school, which is no picnic for any teenage girl, let alone when struggling with their fashion identity in the late 80s. Over the years we've grown even closer and we know each other through and through, good, bad and really, really ugly. If we weren't friends, let's just say we could really do some damage.

A more different group of girls you couldn't hope to meet and yet we never fail to find common ground. We might not speak for months but within 5 minutes it's like we saw each other yesterday.

• There's Cathy the extrovert and the funniest, craziest and most loving person you'll ever hope to meet. I can guarantee that if I call Cathy when I'm feeling miserable and I'll be laughing myself sick in 5 minutes or less.
• Kathy, a jeweller/artist with the most talent I've ever seen in one person but ridiculously humble and never one to blow her own trumpet. She is sweet and endlessly compassionate and I feel lucky to have her in my life.
• And Jane, how to describe Jane? Let's just say if you're ever upset you can ring her and sob on her shoulder for as long as you need without her ever once telling you to wake up to yourself. Even if you really need to. She's incredibly special. Everyone needs a friend like Jane in their lives.

So this was the group assembled for the evening when someone had a bright idea...let's pull out the school video, so thoughtfully converted to DVD courtesy of our absent friend Larissa (who is ballsy, honest and opinionated but always listens and is truly an amazing friend. I am in awe of her. Larissa and I first were friends and then hated each other at school however after a drunken apology at our ten year reunion (hey, my son was only 9 weeks old and it was my first drinking night in about a year - that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it), we've never exchanged a cross word since. And you gotta admire someone who comes up 10 years on and asks you to forgive her for being 'a total bitch at high school').

Anyway...

Oh. My. God.
Oh. My. God.
Oh. My. God.

What a trip! So many memories condensed into approximately 60 minutes. Of course the picture and sound quality sucks due to the woeful technology in 1990 but wow, what an impact. So very trippy to be sitting on a couch with the self-same girls on the screen...friends then and better friends now. We sang and laughed and cringed and squealed with embarrassment. It was awesome.

From the crappy song we were forced to sing at our graduation ('this is the time to remember...cause it will not last forever...") to the most cringe-worthy fashion parade EVER (as previously stated, 1990 was an unfortunate time in fashion history)...nostalgia abounded.

I left feeling slightly teary and sad for the years gone so quickly but totally uplifted as I always do after hanging out with these special women.

Willow said in her letter to her teenage self that we should all embrace our female friendships and it is so true. Perhaps it's because I'm single that I treasure and nurture these friendships but I hope no matter my relationship status in the future that this will never change. There is something just so inexplicably warm and energising about positive female friendships that can really change your life.

Love you girls!

xx

An oldie but a goodie...Taken several years ago of some of the girls...