We’ve met this weekend every year since college graduation. Four of us, every time. It’s the one time of year we all manage to be free at the same time no matter what. It’s the same formula each time: dinner, returning to our alma mater for a showing of the Vagina Monologues, and after-show drinks.

Over the years, we’ve used this weekend to celebrate milestones: engagements, weddings,  new jobs, master degrees, babies…even the acquisition of really fabulous boots. We fall easily into reunion hugs, excited chatter causing us to trip over each others’ words until we laugh and say, “you go. Tell me about it.”

We always take a group photo, but for some reason they tend to get lost. I’m sure a look back over the years would on the surface, show an interesting progression of clothing and hair color, and beneath that, lives that continue to change. From students, to adult women — wives, professionals, mothers.

We are sisters by sorority initiation, but friends by choice — because we just couldn’t not be. Together we are a diverse mix of talents, passions, life paths. But together — together we are one. A really fabulous group of women who for one night, put the rest of life aside.

Tomorrow we’ll add yet another chapter to our story and I really can’t wait.