I saw in the local newspaper on Cape Cod that the last of my mother’s monthly luncheon crowd died a few days ago. They are all gone now. I want to take a moment to give you the best of what they brought to me. When my mother died more than a decade ago, I was living on Cape Cod taking care of her cancer ridden end of life. At her funeral I was invited to take her place at the monthly luncheon she and her friends had been doing for years. They met at a different restaurant each month, where they asked for separate checks, heard one another’s reviews of the past month, and generally enjoyed each other’s company. When they asked if I wanted to come, I said, “Oh my God, you mean like the Sisters of the Ya Ya? I’m so excited. Thank you. I’m there; just tell me when and where.” None of them knew the Ya Ya Sisterhood story, and I tried to explain, but it fell on deaf ears. Literally. You had to speak up with the YaYas. I gave each of them their own copy of the movie for Christmas that first year, and since none of them mentioned it afterward, I don’t think they watched it. Or worse, they watched it and thought I was nuts, which is the more likely scenario.
Loved this. But YOU are the last Ya Ya, and it's time to repopulate the table, right? The sense that I get from your writing of them is that they were all gentle women. Not weak, not silly (although that is so much fun among people you trust and I'm sure they were at times), not uninformed, just gentle and kind with each other. Openly loving. Such a lovely thing.
This is so wonderful! I need a Ya Ya group and it’s not too late to begin one! I might send this blog out with my request to create a monthly girlfriend lunch - kind of a template for rules!
Loved this. But YOU are the last Ya Ya, and it's time to repopulate the table, right? The sense that I get from your writing of them is that they were all gentle women. Not weak, not silly (although that is so much fun among people you trust and I'm sure they were at times), not uninformed, just gentle and kind with each other. Openly loving. Such a lovely thing.
This is so wonderful! I need a Ya Ya group and it’s not too late to begin one! I might send this blog out with my request to create a monthly girlfriend lunch - kind of a template for rules!
My mother had a Ya Ya group. It was a gift watching them over the years.
Loved this one, Chris!!!
Love the Ya Ya group. Such a sweet story!
I’d love to be a YaYa Sister; and I understand that is not my role in this life. I’m sure I’ve done it before, and will again.
Love this tale of years of friendship and good times shared!