It’s A Girl Thing...
BY LAURIE EAGER
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Recently a group of eight remarkable women culminated a twenty-year friendship with an unforgettable trip to Italy to run in the Venice marathon. What had began long ago as a simple girls’ night out for dinner at the popular Shannon’s restaurant evolved into a lasting “Girls Club,” with monthly get-togethers for members Missy Gotelli, Sandy Huber, Susan Farrens, Starr Donati, Claudia Pruett, Betty Rowley, Beth Navone, Mel Williams and Sue Puccinelli. Susan Farrens calls finding this group of friends, “divine intervention.” All were about the same age and unsure about what the next phase of life had in store for them.
These women have been there for one another through difficult times and joyful occasions. The deep bonds of friendship have helped them negotiate life’s ups and downs, celebrate marriages and childbirth, endure children’s teenage years, job challenges, and the loss of parents.
They are able to pull from one another’s strengths and wisdom, and act as a sounding board for one another, at times a shoulder to cry on, and always a strong support group with whom to share life’s moments and have fun.
To commemorate twenty years of friendship, the women wanted to do something truly memorable. Club member Claudia Pruett travels to Italy each year to visit family, and often imagined how fun it would be to share her beloved Italy with her girlfriends. Susan Farrens & Sandy Huber, avid runners, felt that an athletic challenge would be great to accomplish together. The idea to begin training for the Venice marathon took shape about a year in advance. Not all Girls Club members were equally enthusiastic about the goal, but gradually each began to embrace a training ritual and prepare for the trip. They designed team sweat outfits, put together a binder of logistics, and began logging training miles.
The day of the marathon dawned with perfect weather, and the women were thrilled to be a part of something so big. The high energy of the crowd, lively bands along the route, and the incomparable scenery of Venice combined to create an indelible impression. Sue Puccinelli, who was unable to attend, sent a letter and a photo so she could “run” along with the group. All eight women completed the marathon, crossed 15 bridges in the final 2 miles, and triumphantly met at the finish line.
Upon returning to Stockton, the Girls Club made plans to share their experiences with the other important women in their lives – their mothers, daughters and granddaughters. They organized a tea party at the home of Sandy Huber, and each member contributed food, flowers and decorations for the event. With attendee ages ranging from 5 to 88, it was a tribute to the important role female relationships have in the lives of these women. The women enjoyed introducing their mothers to one another, and the relationship these women shared inspired the young girls.
Susan Farrens shared that the “fiber of who we are as women came from carrying on the legacies of our mothers.” Their mothers inspired these women by their example to be kind, strong, productive women who are involved in the community. As the women looked back over their photos from Italy, they reflected on how far they had all come in the years since the inception of their Girls Club, and how much each treasured the friendships and memories they had created together.
These women have been there for one another through difficult times and joyful occasions. The deep bonds of friendship have helped them negotiate life’s ups and downs, celebrate marriages and childbirth, endure children’s teenage years, job challenges, and the loss of parents.
They are able to pull from one another’s strengths and wisdom, and act as a sounding board for one another, at times a shoulder to cry on, and always a strong support group with whom to share life’s moments and have fun.
To commemorate twenty years of friendship, the women wanted to do something truly memorable. Club member Claudia Pruett travels to Italy each year to visit family, and often imagined how fun it would be to share her beloved Italy with her girlfriends. Susan Farrens & Sandy Huber, avid runners, felt that an athletic challenge would be great to accomplish together. The idea to begin training for the Venice marathon took shape about a year in advance. Not all Girls Club members were equally enthusiastic about the goal, but gradually each began to embrace a training ritual and prepare for the trip. They designed team sweat outfits, put together a binder of logistics, and began logging training miles.
The day of the marathon dawned with perfect weather, and the women were thrilled to be a part of something so big. The high energy of the crowd, lively bands along the route, and the incomparable scenery of Venice combined to create an indelible impression. Sue Puccinelli, who was unable to attend, sent a letter and a photo so she could “run” along with the group. All eight women completed the marathon, crossed 15 bridges in the final 2 miles, and triumphantly met at the finish line.
Upon returning to Stockton, the Girls Club made plans to share their experiences with the other important women in their lives – their mothers, daughters and granddaughters. They organized a tea party at the home of Sandy Huber, and each member contributed food, flowers and decorations for the event. With attendee ages ranging from 5 to 88, it was a tribute to the important role female relationships have in the lives of these women. The women enjoyed introducing their mothers to one another, and the relationship these women shared inspired the young girls.
Susan Farrens shared that the “fiber of who we are as women came from carrying on the legacies of our mothers.” Their mothers inspired these women by their example to be kind, strong, productive women who are involved in the community. As the women looked back over their photos from Italy, they reflected on how far they had all come in the years since the inception of their Girls Club, and how much each treasured the friendships and memories they had created together.