I've never really been much of a sentamentalist. I wouldn't call myself cold and uncaring, but I tend to not think much about the types of things most people feel very sentimental about. Birthdays and anniversaries have never been a big deal for me. I'm not that great about keeping in touch, even with the people I care most about. I have never been good at keeping a diary or a photo album full of fond memories. Not sure why.

In stark contrast with my own behavior, I admire the sentimentality of some of my girlfriends. With sentimentality comes thoughtfulness: scrap booking, organized photo albums, birthday cards sent on time, forwarded emails with sweet and cheerful messages, etc. Yet, while I enjoy these things to a certain extent, I'm somewhat indifferent about them. I'd be fine without them and might not even notice they were missing.

But there's just something about the girlfriends themselves that I can't live without. It's not the cards or the emails or the scrap books. It's the history. It's the sisterhood. It's the ability to pick up wherever we left off - whether weeks, months, or even years since we last spoke - and feel caught up and at peace.

All my girlfriends are smart and accomplished, each in her own way. I'm very fortunate. And I learn so much from each of them.

So as another year comes to an end, I'm making an early resolution to make more time to nurture my girlfriend relationships. It's sad to think that some of us spend more time networking with new business contacts than relaxing with those we already know and love. Gotta make it happen.

Coming from a woman who doesn't tend to be very sentimental, this blog post is bordering on soft and mushy. But I'm okay with it. There's nothing wrong with soft and mushy. Sometimes.