The other day I was thinking about all of the people I’ve met recently because of TNT, or my new job, or whatever, and it occurred to me that a lot of my new friends are women in their early 50s. There’s Peggy, my TNT running partner; Bonnie and Janice at work; and Cilla in Austin, my running guru. These are all incredible women, in their own ways. Except for Janice, they’re all childless, and I wonder if this is part of why I am so drawn to them. They are all kind, giving, and wise women, and in their own way, I find myself wanting to be adopted by each of them. They all mother me in some sort of way, but I also get along with them as if they were my own age. It is a wonderful, but odd feeling. I’m not even sure why it’s odd. I wish there was some way to pay tribute to these women. Sometimes I feel so fortunate and so blessed by my friends (all of them, not just the ones mentioned above) that I wish I could bombard them with gifts and cards and cakes and parties, just to show my appreciation. I have such wonderful friends. Sigh.