This one's for the girls.

The girls of the Chaplaincy, minus two

Living with a ton of great girls was one of the best parts of my undergrad experience, and I'm realizing more all the time that I've been incredibly lucky in the same respect this year. There were six of us up to a week ago, but now we have a seventh, an Italian girl who lived here last year and is back indefinitely while she looks for work. Getting to know these girls, hanging out with them, and simply knowing they're around all the time has been one of the best parts of my year here.

A group of girls living together, I think, is always like a little family, even when there are guys in the house, too. There will always be at least one "mom" -- for you Sellardites reading, the Maria of the group who will iron your skirt, give you hugs and backrubs, and most importantly, has an extraordinarily high tolerance for whining. There will be the party girl(s), the quiet one(s), the chatty one(s), the high maintenance one(s), the no-nonsense one(s) and the slacker(s). There will be pairs and little groups that have especially strong connections, often among personality types you would never put together. Despite these differences and various relationships, if you're lucky, there is a larger, inseparable Girl Unit. You may only really notice it every now and then, maybe when the going gets tough for a couple of its members or when the weekend rolls around, but you always have the comfort of knowing it's there.

I asked a male friend one time whether he was glad he was a guy or would rather be a girl. He shocked me by answering he'd never thought about it. Maybe it's something girls are especially given to pondering. Some days it would be a lot easier to be a guy, for all kinds of reasons that don't need enumerating. But I also think it would be lonelier, and for myself, I wouldn't trade. I've never seen a guy bring another guy a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits because he's had a bad day, and I've never seen a group of guys out having cocktails on Valentine's day to celebrate their singleness. I'm sure there's a certain satisfaction in being macho, but I think real guys' guys miss out on a lot.

So, here's to my girls, near and far. I don't know what I'd do without you.