The Girlfriend Series: Jenny and Pam

groovychickpjw
Apr 16
4 min read

How do you describe a friend, a Warrior Sister who has stood with you through thick and thin, happy, and sad, fun and life year after year?

You can return the love and fun with your heart. (and banana bread)

I was lucky enough to meet Jenny Wolkowitz more than 25 years ago as a pre-school mom. She has challenged me to be strong, use my voice and live life to the fullest. She is a friend that cares and loves with her entire heart. To listen to our StoryCorps interview: click here: The Girlfriend Series: Jenny and Pam

Our history began when our kids were young, and we worked on the newsletter for our pre-school one Monday evening, a month after the kids were asleep. While we were getting to know one another, we were able to put together a newsletter and had a lot of fun doing it. We began biking one day a week soon after that and would meet at Creve Coeur park and rode until our toes froze or the humidity chased us into air conditioning. We kept this up for years, sometimes riding around injuries, work, and our commitments to family. We also walked our dogs together.

We were also part of a women’s leadership program, Hadassah Leadership Academy (HLA) which was a once a month learning program for two years. The program took us to Florida, Washington DC, and Israel. While in Israel, I celebrated my 40 th birthday as well as prayed with our women’s group for

my dad who has passed away two weeks before the trip. Being in Israel with those women helped me heal. Jenny and I enjoyed the sunrise on my birthday morning over Jerusalem-a stunning way to bring that year in.

When my daughter was three or four years old, she was interested in The Princess Game which completely freaked me out. My son at that age taught me about dinosaurs; we knew every dinosaur in existence. I did not want my daughter to relate to princesses at all. In her gentle, loving way,

Jenny reminded me, “When your son was that age you embraced dinosaurs and construction trucks. It’s the same thing.” Pivot and I learned about princesses. It didn’t last long, and I will be forever grateful that Jenny helped me realize it wasn’t a lifelong pursuit. What’s ironic is that now the Disney Princesses are empowered, strong and relatable. (“Let It Go” anyone?)

That’s who Jenny is. She is an active listener who can hear what I wasn’t saying. She is perceptive and intuitive and can often hear what’s in my heart.

She is a friend who provides insight in a loving way. She also asks tough questions.

Jenny was also instrumental in getting my writing career into the world. She encouraged me to reach out to a local magazine twenty-three years ago for which she was writing. And for a few years, we both wrote for Savvy Family Magazine.

Over the years Jenny has often asked me to various events, whenever there is an extra ticket. When we spoke about that and I thanked her for always asking me she said, “You are always good to go, and you always say yes!” That is very true.

Who would turn Jenny down as more often than not we meet famous people including Jean Carnahan when she was running for Senate, Tipper Gore (that same evening) on the “One Vote Counts Tour,” Julia Quinn, author of Bridgerton. And in 2022 I somehow made it into Commencement when Sonia Sotomayer spoke. We also take pictures with famous people!

We both love Jake Gyllenhaal, the Duke from Bridgerton (and yes, I asked Julia Quinn about him when we met her), Sex and the City (Jenny introduced me to Carrie, Samantha, Charolette and Miranda) and Wonder Woman. We also both love movies and a good book.

We both watched Sex Education, another Jenny idea and often compared notes when we watched. I remember texting her at the end of season 2 when two of the young women were hugging and said, “We’re going to be each other’s moms.” As Jenny and I have often said, we get mothering wherever we need it and whenever we need it. For me that is part of being a caring, loving friend. It feels like mothering because a mother’s love is unconditional. And that’s what warms my heart.

Jenny and I have also baked together. Over the years, we’ve had afternoons of baking banana bread. Three years ago, I sent Jenny pictures of Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding when I was in New York. Then I sent the recipe. Her response, “When?” When we did make it, there was enough banana pudding for a small country. And through Jenny’s family’s requests, I have also perfected a banana bread recipe. I am always happy to bake and share.