Photo source: Carin Olsson

My inbox greeted me this morning with an email from my old friend, Hamburgirl, that charming, spontaneous, loving lady who became my friend many moons ago and has stayed close to my heart though we haven’t shared continents in over at least a decade and a half.

“bp!! How are you??”  the note began very casually.  She shortly recapped the past two weeks saying she had been home alone with her children while her husband was away for work.  The younger child had been ill the whole time and   ” …  very generously shared her sickness with me :(“

She continued,

“On that note, my cousin will be in Paris next week and given my last two challenging weeks as a single sick mama, I am now considering a quick escape from life and a couple days in Paris.  I am thinking of going for two-three days.  I know you’re in another time zone, but thought I’d still ask ’cause nothing happens without asking!  Perhaps you are free and can get lucky with a cheap last minute ticket?  Any chance you can have a spur of the moment girls’ weekend in Paris?  Be spontaneous 🙂
Cheers,
Hamburgirl”

I hit the reply button immediately and typed:

Dearest Hamburgirl,

This is the exact email I needed this moment, Hamburgirl, you have no idea.  You are 100% right, nothing happens without asking and I love that you invited me to escape with you to Paris! I am still that girl who would, but alas, the timing is not right! Perhaps we can escape there another time because we ARE due for one great spontaneous girls’ weekend!

I find myself seeing the glass is half full in life, yet with this optimism comes some downsides… Often convincing myself after one hard thing after the next that “it’s all good” when in fact the best thing to do would be to say “screw this” and hibernate! Lol!  Just last night over Viber, a dear friend said something to the effect of,  “it’s no wonder you’re so tired. Things haven’t seemed easy for you lately.” And they haven’t. BUT I hold tight to my girlish optimism, to my ‘get on with it’ attitude, and when all else fails, Hamburgirl, I just fake it with my $5 smile. I learned those funny smiles from you when we still lived in Manila, trying to get your way with waiters and security guards- and succeeding.

So go! Go to Paris and have that grand escape.  Do it for yourself and for all the spontaneous ladies out there who could have as they once were, but cannot because of the women they now need to be.  Sometimes the timing isn’t right, but sometimes it is… You just need to ask.

Thank you for thinking of me and please send me a postcard when you arrive at the City of Light!

Much love,

@blogger_bp

Image from AnnBeauty16. Edited with StudioDesign