Friends, Waffles, Work

When Parks and Rec first premiered on NBC in 2009, I started watching it purely because both of my siblings told me that the main character, Leslie Knope, reminded them of me. As I got to know her, I saw what they meant- on the positive side, we both have the drive to make the world a better place, we both are motivated by love for our friends and community. This motivation that at times leads to reckless or overbearing behavior, and we both at times rush into situations, conversations, or confrontations without fully considering the consequences of our actions. But of all the things I’ve learned from Leslie, her love for her girlfriends is one of the characteristics I most admire. She is passionate about many things, including her work, but for Leslie friends always top work, as she tells us, “Waffles, friends, work, or friends, waffles, work- either way, work is third.” I have adopted her Galentine's Day celebration as a yearly commemoration of the specialness of female friendships. Additionally, I hope that Galentine's Day in my group of girlfriends is now an opportunity to widen the table and to spend time with other women that we may not know well; to welcome them into our hearts and be inspired by each woman’s gifts and uniqueness.

There are many ways to celebrate Galentine's day- some friends may find brunch at a local restaurant to save the hassle of someone hosting, a happy hour can also be an easy and convenient option, for us, however, Galentine's Day has entailed a potluck style breakfast for dinner. For the last few years I’ve set out a waffle maker and waffle batter, and my friends brought an array of toppings- syrup, whipped cream, fruit, sprinkles and chocolate. This gets the whole group into the kitchen together and interacting. Last year I made a big pot of crockpot hot chocolate as it was a chilly night. Decorations have typically been lighthearted(let me tell you about Leslie the Galentines llama) but have always included flowers. This time of year, flowers most often symbolize romantic love and they are certainly appropriate tokens of romantic love and affection. But Galentines reminds me that all types of love are a thing of beauty and deserve to be recognized and celebrated. In the words of Leslie Knope “ovaries before brovaries.”