Circle of Moms
07 Jun 2011 2 Comments
in Friendship
I’m lying in bed, reflecting on the chaos that has been my life in the last several weeks, and thinking about all the beautiful friends that have come to my rescue when I needed it the most. What stands out to me is that I have an incredible circle of friends, most of whom have small children of their own, and who really understand the difficulties I am facing each day. As a relatively new mother, this “Circle of Moms” is a never-ending source of love and support when it is needed most. Every young mother should have another mom she can call for advice and support, to laugh or cry, and to share her joys and fears about parenting.
Only a mom friend will understand the exhaustion you feel at the end of the day. She knows you started your morning, usually before sunrise, because you needed some coffee and alone time, or someone had a bad dream and can’t find their favorite stuffed animal. She understands that even though it’s mid-afternoon and you have been going strong since 6am, you have gotten “nothing” done. You haven’t showered, possibly haven’t eaten, and let’s not even discuss the dishes or the laundry. However, you have managed to watch a Disney movie or two, sneak a few goldfish crackers, and know that even if you showered now you would surely end up covered in spit-up or poop within the hour. So why bother?
Only a mom friend understands your anxiety. She knows that most days you feel completely inadequate to be the primary influential factor in your child’s life. She understands your worries and guilt over letting your child watch hours of tv rather than reading her a book so you can get housework complete. She knows how desperately you wish you cooked more and fed your kids McDonald’s less. She is there for a second opinion when your child gets some weird rash, vomits her guts out for hours, or has a baseball-size bruise on her head that you are not entirely sure where it came from.
A mom friend is always prepared. She has an unlimited supply of pull-ups, diapers, and wipes that she is overjoyed to share. She’s a second pair of eyes that keeps your child from climbing the bookcases, falling down the stairs, or barreling into on-coming traffic. When your kids are bored, she has toys, games, or even a portable DVD player within arms reach. Her purse is like Santa’s magical bag: the goodies and essentials just keep coming out like there is no bottom or limit to what she has to offer.
And when a mom friend realizes she doesn’t have the capability or strength to help, she’s the first to volunteer her husband to do so. Unbeknownst to him, he will be enlisted to repair your air conditioning, install your refrigerator, or assemble some other random piece of furniture/equipment that just looks too complicated or time consuming for you to do. After all, you have two children to run after, and your mom friend knows that.
I love my circle of moms! Their friendship comes as easy as breathing. It’s like having a safety net underneath you so you are not afraid to walk, or fall off, a tight rope. They are like the comfort you feel when you wake up during a nightmare and your mommy hands you your favorite stuffed animal.
Praise God for your Circle of Moms!
