Thank you for being a friend

February 23, 2015 by Ray Morgan

Thank you for being a friend

Pastel slacks. Oversized sweatshirts. Late night cheesecake. Palm trees. Handbags. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? That's right. Yep. GOLDEN GIRLS.

For those of you who don't know, The Golden Girls is a 1980s TV programme about four ladies (Rose, Blanche, Sophia and Dorothy) in their - how shall we say it? - well, golden years. Three best friends and one of their mums living in a huge house in Miami furnished with a lot of wicker. They wear comfortable clothing and do volunteer work and date unsuitable men and argue and then make up.

When one of them is having a bad time and can't sleep, the others get up in their dressing gowns and they sit round the dining room table and eat cheesecake. How cute is that!

Sometimes, one of them might be let down by one of their grown up children, or one of their ex-husbands would show up and be a total douchebag (STANLEY). This meant time for all the friends to rally round and be there for each other. What a cool lesson in friendship. It sounds mushy, which it was, but with the right measure of humour. And then Rose (my hero, Betty White) would say something funny about pig farmers and everything would be okay.

I like to think that my future elderly life will be like The Golden Girls. It won't be in Miami, of course, but there are palm trees in Southend. Plus I live with a woman so we're halfway there. We often joke with our other friends who don't have kids that we will live in a harmonious commune when we're elderly and all look out for each other. As I'm the youngest, they also like to joke that I'll be looking after them all the most. But what a great thought - hanging out with your friends when you're old!

What I love the most about Golden Girls is the warmth. They've all had struggles but they help each other through. I for one, actively encourage the idea of eating cheesecake at night when you've had a crap day. The theme song for Golden Girls says "thank you for being a friend, travelled down the road and back again - your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidante" (I'm not kidding, I am welling up just thinking about this song. I need to get it on my iPod).

Valuing friends is something that becomes more apparent as you get older. Your circle thins, you hone in on the people who give you great joy and make you feel good, who you want to support and who support you in difficult times. The very fact that the Golden Girls exists is a brilliant testament to the power of friendship, and I salute them. PS. This is dedicated to all my beaut friends. You know who you are x

My top 5 things about Golden Girls:

1. The episode where they all get mistaken for 'ladies of the night' and get put in prison. Hilarity ensues
2. Any time Sophia says "Picture this, Sicily, 1922"
3. Any time Rose talks about St Olaf and eating Genügenflürgen cake
4. When a young Jenny Lewis played a bratty Girl Scout (one for eagle eyed musos)
5. The theme song. We've already covered it, but come on. A classic. YouTube it and your day will magically improve...