The Five-Star Friendships

Have you read The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hildebrand? Or watched the series on Netflix? If you haven’t done either, take this as my recommendation. 

I have many amazing friends whom I love and treasure dearly but I also have my five stars: five women from different chapters of my life, each a bestie in her own way- even though they aren’t all friends with one another.  That’s what made me relate to the book so much, and ultimately, made me want to watch the series too. 

You probably have five stars too.

There’s the one you’ve been best friends with since high school, the one who knows all the bad stuff. If there was a statue and an awards ceremony, this friend would win an award for keeping secrets.  And aren’t we thankful smartphones and social media were not here to preserve the evidence? She may live far away now, but one phone call and suddenly, we’re 17 again.

The one from your 20s. The one who was there for the crazy road trips, late nights, boyfriend drama, part time jobs, and first real jobs with. The one you shared those carefree years with before marriage, kids, and all the responsibilities that came with them. And yet, 30 years later you can still have so much fun reminiscing together at dinner that it turns into an impromptu sleepover in borrowed sweatpants. 

The one from your 30’s “new mom era” who was with you in the elementary school trenches. Your kids may not be friends any longer, but the friendship you have with her has made it through. She’s the one who also sits quietly in the back of the funeral home. She doesn’t need to say anything. Just knowing she showed up, and is always there, somehow makes the hardest moments a little easier. 

Then there’s the two that you talk to on the daily, the group chat that goes off all day long. They listen to every story, love you through the day to day grind, hate the people who you wrong, snd cheer on the people that you love too. The “guys, you aren’t gonna believe this just happened” minute-by-minute update throughout the day. The ones who pick up an emergency FaceTime when you call them from the floor of your closet for help. 

The five stars know the embarrassing stuff. These friends know the heartbreaking stuff. The things that definitely did not make it onto Facebook or Instagram.

They’ve seen different versions of you.. Different decades of you.

And somehow, they’re all still here. And for that you are so very grateful.

That’s what I wish I understood sooner: friendship isn’t about having the biggest table. It’s about having people who keep showing up—even when there’s no fun picture to post afterward.

So if you’re home on a Saturday night and scroll past a photo of 14 women, around a table, matching cocktails in hand and huge smiles on their faces, don’t panic. 

There are probably three separate group chats going before the check even comes. Some of them don’t really like each other, and a few might not be speaking by Christmas.