A Sunday Above the City
The elevator doors opened and suddenly it felt like we had stepped into another world.
Above us stretched a brilliant blue sky. Around us stood tall buildings reflecting the sunshine, and below us the city buzzed with its usual Sunday energy. Rows of striped lounge chairs faced a giant movie screen, and colorful flowers framed the entrance to the Rooftop Cinema Club. For a moment, I just stood there taking it all in.
"This is so cool," I thought.
My friend Trina has a gift for finding experiences like this. She is a meeting planner by profession, and I swear she always discovers the most interesting things. She had planned a Sunday in the city together, complete with brunch and a little adventure beforehand. Trina discovered the Rooftop Cinema Club at The Emily Hotel, and we all thought it sounded like such a fun way to spend the day. Even better, they were showing Pretty Woman, a movie that instantly brought back memories and made us smile.
Since we were going to be on a rooftop, Trina warned us it could be breezy and suggested bringing something warm. I took her advice seriously. I wore a jacket and brought along a pashmina, fully expecting to be bundled up against the wind.
As it turns out, Mother Nature had plans of her own.
By the time we arrived, the sun was shining brightly, and what we thought might be a chilly afternoon turned into a beautiful, warm day. In fact, it was downright hot. There was no shade, no umbrellas, and no clouds to speak of.
Thankfully, Trina had thought ahead and applied sunscreen before we arrived.
Joanie and I, however, did not.
Ugh.
I quickly noticed Trina holding her printed paper tickets over her head. I thought she was a genius. It never occurred to me to bring a hat, but realized she was much smarter than the rest of us. Somewhere along the way, Joanie had quietly placed a napkin under her headphones to protect her scalp. I didn't even realize she had done it or I would have copied her in a heartbeat.
Instead, I sat there enjoying every minute of the experience completely exposed to the elements. I supposed you might say, ignorance is bliss. Or not.
The whole setup was so much fun. We settled into our lounge chairs, put on our headsets, and watched Pretty Woman high above the city. The ticket included a muffin and a mimosa, which made the whole experience feel even more festive. There was something wonderfully nostalgic about hearing the familiar music and laughing at scenes we all remembered. It felt like being transported back in time while sitting in the middle of downtown Chicago.
As I looked around at the skyline, the flower wall, and my girlfriends laughing beside me, I thought to myself, this is exactly the kind of memory I want more of.
The older I get, the more I appreciate experiences over things. I probably won't remember every detail of what we ordered at brunch or every line from the movie, but I will remember the laughter. I will remember Trina proudly using her paper tickets as a sun hat. I will remember Joanie secretly solving the problem with her napkin while I sat blissfully unaware. And I will remember feeling grateful to be sharing the day with women I genuinely love spending time with.
Friendships become even more precious as we age. Life gets busy. Calendars fill up. It becomes easy to say, "Maybe another time." But I have learned that some of life's sweetest memories happen when we simply say yes.
Yes to the drive downtown. Yes to trying something new. Yes to spending the day together. Yes to making memories.
By the time I got home that evening, I realized just how much sunshine we had absorbed. My arms were burned. My chest was burned. And of course, my scalp was burned too. Apparently, a pashmina is no match for direct sunshine when it spends most of the day tucked into my purse.
For the next several days, every time I brushed my hair, I was reminded of our adventure. And honestly, I couldn't help but smile. Because the sunburn faded, but the memories did not.
As I reflect on that beautiful Sunday, I realize it wasn't really about Pretty Woman, the muffins, or even the mimosas. It was about friendship. It was about making time for joy. It was about creating memories that make you laugh weeks later.
Sometimes the best days aren't extravagant or carefully planned. Sometimes they are simply three girlfriends saying yes to a Sunday adventure and discovering that joy can be found high above the city streets.
And if it comes with a side of sunshine and a slightly sunburned scalp, I’ll take it. Because that's what made it so memorable, and that's what made it a Sunday above the city.
xo, Sheryl
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