Who’s Your Frankie?

Several years ago I wrote a blog about the [then] new Netflix series titled Grace and Frankie staring Lilly Tomlin and Jane Fonda.

Four seasons later, I’m still loving the show. Last week as I began the current season I welcomed the recap of past episodes so I could refresh myself with where we last left off. Click here to read the original post if you’re not already familiar with the plot. But in a nutshell: Grace and Frankie are polar opposites! Picture modern day female versions of Oscar and Felix but they share a stunning beachfront home on the West Coast while together navigating their third acts of life as opposed to living in a New York City apartment in the early 1970’s. Watching this unlikely duo make sense of life’s twenty-first century twists and turns and rise up together will keep your attention with a vast array of emotions from belly laughter to heartstring tugged tears.

While recapping Grace (Jane Fonda’s high strung, buttoned up, rigid, control freak extraordinaire of a character) complain about her daily trials and tribulations, I was quickly reminded by Brianna, her daughter, how lucky Grace really is when Brianna turned to her Mom and sternly said,

“But you have a Frankie. Not everyone has a Frankie.” 

 

Frankie (Lilly Tomlin’s hippy, smart ass, unfiltered, pot smoking, artsy, oversized clothes wearing, laid back mentality of a character) doesn’t always see eye to eye with Grace’s uptight point of view but ultimately all conflicts lead to resolution involving mutual love, respect and decades of history on their side.

Having a Frankie on your side for all the day-ins and day-outs of life’s big and small curveballs is a pretty special thing. As adults, some of us might be lucky enough to have a brother or a sister who is their Frankie or maybe a cousin who’s close enough to a sibling status for the daily grind reliance. But do most adults have a non relative friend Frankie for everything?  Everything?

Do You Have A Frankie? 

If So, You’re Very Lucky.

Who’s Your Frankie?

 

I would suspect most [unpolished] adults in real life might have a Frankie to lean on for certain things but maybe not all things. For instance, maybe you have a  work Frankie you’re able to bounce office issues off of. Maybe you have a gym Frankie you’re able to meet for a cardio workout or a yoga class a few times a week. Maybe you have a travel Frankie who’s your go-to when you wanna jet out of town. Maybe there’s a foodie Frankie in your rolodex who’s willing and able to check out the latest hot spot in town. Maybe some of these Frankie’s also double as your spiritual Frankie, cultural Frankie, book club Frankie, sarcastic Frankie, current events and political pundit Frankie, movie goer Frankie, shoot the shit Frankie, childhood friend whom you only speak to every so often but it feels like no time has passed Frankie, camp friend Frankie, the call on the drive home from work after a long day and you need to vent to Frankie, the neighbor who’s always up for a glass of wine Frankie or maybe a college friend who’ll always text you back when you need them Frankie. What about the Frankie who’ll keep your darkest secrets Frankie or a I just need to cry and I know you’ll listen without judgement Frankie. And then of course there’s the Frankie who’ll bail you out of jail if need be Frankie! Can one Frankie really hold all these Frankie traits? Is that even possible? For fuck’s Frankie’s sake, how can that be possible?  How???  

 

So, do you have a Frankie? And if so, who’s your Frankie?

 

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW….It may not be realistic to have one real-life, ride or die, catch all Frankie the way Grace does on the show, but I guess that’s why it’s just that, a fictional show. Frankie, in her entirety is a make believe character on television. And though as Brianna says, “Not everyone has a Frankie” I’d like to believe we are all lucky enough to have some versions of a Frankie amongst our friend circles whom will have our backs in given circumstances. I am forever grateful for all the varieties of Frankie’s in my life who tolerate my unpolished, Grace-like tendencies. So to all my Frankie’s out there, I thank you!