Women & Wisdom Party
For Galentine's Day or any day of the year. It was a party to say thank you, but the results were so unexpected.
Updated: 2/5/2025
I think the term, "Galentine's Day" is a bit odd, but it’s just the word - I love the concept. Keep reading to know what it is and to see one of my favorite girlfriend parties.
It is celebrated on Valentine's-eve (who knew?) and started as fiction in an episode of Parks and Recreation with the fabulous Amy Poehler. The idea was to celebrate female friendship in general; and you can read a lot more about the origins here. Anyway, it leads me into what the post was originally going to be about.
I hosted a party many years ago that I called Women and Wisdom. I had gotten a divorce a year earlier and was planning to move to New York in a few months.
Throughout that past year, so many women (and men, but mostly women) had carried me through. Before I moved away, I wanted to thank my many fabulous girlfriends.
It was a beautiful party, but it was the people who created the magic and lasting gifts.
This post isn't really about the logistics of the party itself, but I will give just a few.
Obviously back then, I sent a real invitation (and still do - try it!) and the guest list was DIVERSE. My work colleagues, my social friends, my hairdresser, my financial advisor, some family, even some of my ex-husband's family!
With the invitation, I included a card that said Words of Wisdom on one side and asked my guests to share their words of wisdom on the other side of the card - even if they couldn’t attend.
I put those quotes into a Powerpoint (okay -- this was a LONG time ago) and played it through the night on my huge flatscreen TV which I was quite proud of as it had been my gift to myself after my divorce. Back in the day, a television like that took two strong men to lift it and was a ridiculous amount of money. I had a hard time parting with it even years later. Okay, back to the story . . . .
Actual handwritten words of wisdom from my girlfriends
We had cocktails and light bites in the courtyard. (side note: Cocktails in the Courtyard sounds like a good name for a party - might have to use that again.)
The takeaway gift was a small book by a program that supported women on welfare who were going back to work, and that was tied with shoestrings that had the pink breast cancer symbol - all very cute.
Music was piped in and there was only one toast - me thanking them. Other than that, it was magical because of the people.
Here is what I never expected from this party: that my friends would become friends.
Of course, some already knew each other and I knew everyone would more or less get along. Sort of like a wedding when everyone knows the bride and groom, right?
But it was more than that.
“The magic was the people. ”
If not for the introductions that night, many of those women would never have crossed each other's paths. And they already had so much in common, but would have never known. That was the best part.
They were from every background, every race, every sort of job or no job. But, they had a few of things in common:
They were good people.
They were real.
They cared about me.
Often, we just want to spend time with those who are closest to us - those people we see every day. But that night I heard that I had given them a gift: introducing them to someone they may have never known.
But think about bringing together a group who has you in common. Your gift to them may be new relationships with people they never would have noticed or found on their own.
“Your gift to them may be new relationships with people they never would have noticed or found on their own. ”
I’ve sort of gotten off the party topic and ventured into life topics, but it’s something to think about, even if you don’t plan a party. But if you do . . . .
One of the things I love to do is write a little poem as an invite. Sometimes it can be too silly, but often it hits just right. Here is the one I used for this party - feel free to take and use as your own!
Invitation to Women & Wisdom party, circa 2003!
