My girls (and my boys)

"I don't mean to seem like I care about material things, like a social status ... I just want four walls and adobe slats for my girls..."

It has been well-documented that this Animal Collective lyric makes no sense.

"A social status" is not a material thing, and four walls of adobe anything (slats? slabs? Adobe CS4?) still leaves you without a roof, but this does not change the fact that everyone -- including this grammar nerd right here -- loves the song "My Girls." In fact, Idolator's Christopher R. Weingarten (among others) has already broken this phenomenon down here, so I don't have to.

We all agree that what Panda Bear seems to be saying is this: all you really need in life is your crew. And when I reflect on this summer, I feel so grateful for the times I was able to spend connecting with "my strong women," as I call them. Thanks to them, I've been having the time of my life, and redefining what it means to really be a strong woman. I'm fortunate to be surrounded by several working models, from my mother to my mentors to my fellow Party Cats. Together, they have formed a loving network of ladies that has helped me to grow beyond belief and to laugh -- like, throw-my-head-back, spill-my-beer, give-me-a-second-I-have-to-breathe belly laugh -- every single day. To my girls -- you know who you are -- thank you.

Of course, there's also the love I have for my boys, who have helped me to maintain my strong womanhood throughout the summer by providing generous helpings of "mencouragement" along the way. To my brother, who's often mistaken for my twin these days and who introduced me to the song "My Girls"; to my dad, who raised me to be tough, "level-headed" and fun-loving from the beginning; and to my boys, Alexis B., Mike S. Mike Y., Matt L., Roger M., Tyler B., and Josh H., who have never let me forget what I'm worth -- thank you. This song goes out to you.