Sonja Smith gives us the run down on the importance of Mom Friends this Galentines Day!
I woke up at 5 AM, two weeks before my due date, when suddenly, my water broke. At least I think it did, but I wasn’t sure, so I picked up the phone and called her.
“He got two notes from his teacher this week. He’s usually well-behaved in school, but now it seems he is struggling with self control,” I lamented to her as we walked around the track.
I opened my daughter’s backpack to find an award for kindness from her teacher. As important as education is, good character is also something we try to develop in our family. When she asked me how my week was going, I proudly told her about the certificate.
Who is it that you go to when you’re consumed with the questions, concerns, and joys of motherhood? Who is your first call? Many women have their own mothers on speed-dial, but others of you, like me, may have a void in that role of your life.
In each of the three circumstances I shared, it was a different mom friend that I went to for counsel. Having a community of women around you who are in varying stages of motherhood is a community that is priceless. Sure, you could dust off that old parenting book that some well-meaning lady gave you at your baby shower, but there is nothing quite as grounding as hearing another mom say to your face, “I’ve been there, and I understand!” We were never meant to feel isolated along this journey of motherhood, and when they say, “It takes a village to raise a child,” they weren’t wrong.
So moms, as busy as you are with your family and your household, your job and all of the extracurriculars, make sure you periodically squeeze a girls night into your schedule. This February, try planning a Galentine’s Date with a mom friend or group. It can be as elaborate as a girls’ weekend away, or something refreshingly simple like a mani/pedi or dinner at a local restaurant. Take time with those who walk this motherhood journey with you, and allow each other’s company to refresh and encourage you.
