“Explore & You Shall Find”

Do you and your best friend share the same Zipcode?

My mom came to visit me back in October and I shared in my blog post, “Hey Ma!” all that we did during the week she was here.
“Thursday was the only day I had court that week. I went to court that morning and got back later that afternoon. I made the spaghetti and invited my friend Latrecia over for dinner. The 3 of us sat and chatted and sipped wine. It was nice for my mom to meet some of my friends while here. The village I began to build since I’ve been living here. A lot of my family and closest friends do not live in Georgia. I had to build a village and a circle of friends that I can trust, grow with, and learn from. I’m glad I was able to do that and she got to witness that connection!”

I am so surprised that I haven’t mentioned on here how I built that village and what we’ve been up to! So… my mom, aunts, and their friends have a monthly Wine Down Wednesday where they gather, eat, drink, talk, grow, and be merry. They will sometimes have a food theme and my Auntie will make a signature cocktail! When I was home with my family last July for a full month I was able to actually witness the infamous Wine Down Wednesday, and you already know what I did… Yup, I copied them lol. I texted all of the beautiful, strong, inspiring, and supportive friends I had in Athens, told them my idea that I stole, and they were all in! The funny thing is, I knew they would appreciate this! Not because they don’t have any friends or a social life, but positive, genuine, and substantive connections are important to each and every one of us, and even though they didn’t know each other separately at first, they knew that we couldn’t go wrong getting us Black women into the same space at least once a month! Lol!

August 18, 2021 was my first time hosting Wine Down Wednesday (“WDW”) and it was a success! We’ve been going strong since then, and sometimes not everyone can show up each month, but that doesn’t stop us from gathering, having a good time, having a theme, eating good, drinking good, giving updates, challenging each other, laughing, and sharing love! And not only do we just meet once a month, but we also go to symphonies, brunch, poetry nights, open mic, farmer’s market, the park, music festivals, you name it together.

I have really relied on my village a lot in the past few months, and I’m so blessed I have them. I still have my lifelong best friends, but knowing that I have someone who I can trust living in the same city just gives me a sense of peace. And I love it!

Do you have a village? Many of us grow up with our best friends from college, high school, or even elementary school, but then adulthood smacks us right in the face (*no Will Smith pun intended*) and adulting takes over. A social life becomes non-existent because we have jobs, spouses, kids, financial struggles, or whatever, or because our closest friends no longer live close by. I was def feeling the blues of the latter. We don’t realize the importance of friendship outside of our romantic partners and pets. I encourage you to cultivate those friendships in your area, even if you think Sally doesn’t want to have mimosas and get drunk with you on a Sunday afternoon. You never know! So many people share the same sentiments, feelings, and desires that we do!

Cheers to all of the Queens in my village; this post is a post of gratitude to you and who you are to me! WDW is something I look forward to every month! And cheers to all of you who will go out there and find, build, strengthen, and maintain those friendships that will eventually turn into family.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” — Romans 15:13, NKJV.

Moni Jay, Off the Record