We are lucky in life to have one really good friend we can always count out. I’m extra lucky because I have three of these friends who have been with me through many ups and downs and continue to support me through this difficult battle against cancer. The three have all become friends and are known as my sweat sisters, a term taken from my matron of honor’s wedding toast.
Kristen Armstrong who wrote for Runner’s World discussed her sweat sisters, close friends whose lives were tied together through running. These sweat sisters all came together to support each other through different life events and that’s exactly what happened with me and my three sweat sisters.
I’ll start with my friend since kindergarten, Megan. Although we were only in the same home room twice in K-8th grade, we were always close friends as were our mothers. Whether we dressed up in the crazy costumes my mom had at our house or pretended we were the next Olympic beach volleyball players in her backyard (too bad that never worked out!), we always had a ton of fun together.
Now here comes the whole fate thing. We went to different high schools but remained in touch and I’m sure would have continued to be friends. But ironically we both transferred to TCNJ after starting out at different colleges and were back to best friends again.
While we shared a ton of laughs we were always there for each other during tough times too. Megan came over the night my mom died and we stayed up watching comedies and sharing stories. Sadly two years ago I had to be there for my sweat sister when her mom died. She was so helpful with me that there was no way I wouldn’t be there for her during the most difficult moments in our lives.
And Megan continues to help out as much as she can, stopping over one night a week to hang out with the kids and give us a break. She stayed with the kids when I was in the hospital having Bryce and has helped watch the kids when she’s been off a few Mondays when I’ve had chemo. She’s an amazing friend and person and am so lucky she’s my sweat sister.
Next comes Jane. Jane and I played AAU basketball together in late middle school for several years. We went to different middle and high schools and different colleges.
Now here’s the whole fate thing again.
My first job right out of grad school was at The Lawrenceville School. Maybe a year into this job a new employee started who looked very familiar. For a few days I kept trying to figure out why this employee was so familiar. She figured it out before me and was one of Jane’s sisters. This put me back in touch with Jane and we started hanging out.
When Mercer needed an assistant women’s basketball coach I reached out to Jane who got the job. This made us even closer and she joined the sweat sisterhood.
Helping me through many ups and downs, Jane is the friend who keeps me in check. She sees through any BS I try to pull and will make me own up to things I can’t always let go of. And we all need one of those friends. She is great with my kids and helped me so much with the loss of my mother. She came right over last weekend to watch all five kids so Chris could go with me to the ER. I am so lucky to call Jane one of my sweat sisters.
My third sweat sister is the one who mentioned the sweat sisters in my wedding toast and has the same awesome name as me, Erin.
We met on the xc team at TCNJ. I walked-on and joined the team late and Erin helped welcome me to the group from the first practice and we remained close.
I don’t remember the specifics but we both got back in touch with each other several years after college. Shortly after that, I was going to start coaching xc at Mercer and since Erin had been coaching high school for several years, I was able to get a great deal of advice from her.
Helping me through motherhood and many other things in life, she was the first person I called when my mom died and when I had a miscarriage. Whether we are meeting over coffee or texting for advice, she’s always been there for me and I am so lucky to have this sweat sister in my life.
So there’s my sweat sisters. Three amazing friends I’ve met over different parts of my life who have been helping me through the toughest time of my life. And I am so very lucky to have the support of these three friends.
