"Ode to my Nashville Joonams"

I have been thinking a lot lately about all "my girls" in Nashville and am really missing them lately. It's amazing to me that all my life I have struggled to find really good girl friends...you know, ones that don't steal your boyfriends, don't talk behind your back, would do things for you that you would never expect, and who are there for you no matter what condition you are in. I finally found those things in a wonderful group of women in Nashville and once I moved to West Palm Beach and left all my joonams (and ultimately moved to an area of the country where, though I love my job and am so excited to be serving the Bahai Faith daily, I find it hard to find women my age who are not into the party scene) I really realized that those women are such an amazing blessing to me in this world (and all the worlds to come)! The most wonderful thing that I have realized is that God, no matter what we might try to control in life, ultimately has a plan for us. I wondered, while I was preparing to leave Nashville, "Now, God, why did you give me all of these amazing friends (more friends than I have EVER had in my life), just to take me away from them so quickly? I mean, most of these girls I have really just gotten to know over the past couple of months! I've finally bonded with them, and now I have to leave them?". But, as I sit here tonight, I realize that God knew that I would need them more once I left than I would ever understand at that time. All of these women are such STRONG BAHAI WOMEN!!! Genevieve starting her own business; Mahzad quitting her job and moving to California to make HERSELF happy (for once); Bahar constantly pushing herself to become the best attorney that I will probably ever meet (it's a close race with Pooneh of course, but I have seen her handle Chase and Joel and I continually applaude her); Holley being the most amazing mother I have seen yet to the most beautiful and juicy little girl in the world, Ruby True (of course that is MY biased opinion, but I have included a photo to prove my point); Lisa also being a strong mother and just an overall strong woman (I can't tell you how many times she has comforted me...only to follow it up with a good "now what are you going to do about it?" lecture); Neda pushing herself to her limits in the Lee Wood torture chamber when I was definately thinking of giving up; Katrina being someone that anytime I see her I can't help but smile, laugh, and also feel so calm and know that if I need comfort, she is there (Roomie!); Pooneh being such a hardworking, serious, woman but all the while keeping her sense of humor and making me realize that you really don't have to be uptight to be a successful woman; Juliet who I feel I connected with the moment I met her and she is a constant source of knowledge, no matter what I ask her, she seems to have an answer and when I am struggling, she is almost always there to help (this Blog is a perfect example)...all of these women amaze me! They are a constant inspiration to me and I know that our friendship will only continue to grow even while I am not there. I love all you girls, and I miss you greatly...and just because you don't hear from me all the time, doesn't mean I don't think of you constantly. And now I will close my "Ode to Joonams"...Allah'u'Abha...