Every Tuesday, I have lunch with the same group of women, a collection of faculty from my department and from Theater Arts. When we have to label ourselves, we tend to call ourselves the Coven. We attract attention when we eat together, probably because of the rivers of laughter that flow from our table. These women are strong and opinionated and everything that's good about smart women.
This past Tuesday, we had our annual holiday gift exchange. We always have crackers that we set off--and then all must wear the paper crown inside. We read the silly jokes inside, too, jokes that are corny and utterly forgettable. As usual, I received a pile of gifts . . . including chocolate (!), an embroidered wallet, a jade charm, a dreidel, 2 notebooks (watch out world, we're now all in possession of a check off sheet entitled, "Things You Must Do to Make Me Happier"), and a kazoo. One of the funnier moments of the lunch occurred when my friend Bo finally managed to get her kazoo to make sound. She reacted with glee, which of course made the rest of us laugh, too. Here's Bo re-enacting her success on the kazoo.
And here are Kathleen and Ginny doing an excellent repeat of our response.
Although it's sometimes difficult to make lunch every Tuesday, I feel lucky to be in a department where there are so many strong women, both the women who come to this lunch and those who don't.
Happy holidays, women of the coven!
And just in case anyone wants to know, here are Things You Must Do to Make Me Happier:
Try harder.
Smile.
Get off your high horse.
Be there for me.
Cheer up.
Taste rain.
Matter.
Take my side.
Surprise me.
Embrace difference.
Hold this.
Eschew martyrdom.
