What is a “Mom Friend”?

Mom Friends come in all shapes, sizes and varieties.  There are those that you see almost every day.  Your kids are the best of friends and do everything with each other.  These are the women that remind you that you are not going insane, your kids are normal and so are you.  They listen to your joys and complaints and provide you with moral support daily.  They are part of your “village”.  You know, the “village” that it requires to raise a family.  They are not afraid to correct or protect your children when necessary and are there to provide praise and encouragement when they see something done well.  These are the women that allow you to take a breath, run an errand, or just go to the bathroom on your own every once in a while.  They are your sisters-in-arms.

There are also those Mom Friends that you no longer see every day.  Maybe one of you has moved away or your kids have just grown apart.  You may communicate primarily through e-mails and Facebook postings.  These are the Mom Friends who know from whence you came.  They were there in the beginning and suffered with you through your mommy learning curve.  These were the ladies you grew up with or maybe those you met at the playground, in your birthing class or mommy-and-me classes.  They had that same glint in their eye of promise and wonder for their perfect little bundles of joy.  You potty-trained together, progressed through feeding and potty stages together, and traversed the world of terrible twos and horrifying threes together.   They will always hold a special place in your heart and you work to hold onto the slowly drifting connection by planning mom’s night out or occasional weekends together.  No matter how long it has been since you have spoken to one another, it seems as though not a minute has passed.  These are your forever friends.

Last are the older and/or wiser Mom Friends that you have met along the way.  Maybe your kids aren’t at the same stages or their children have already grown and flown the nest.  These are the women that give you the heads up on what is to come and offer support for where you are right now.  They have lived through the potty training, temper tantrums, and the sibling rivalry.   They enjoy your children at the ages and stages you are experiencing right now because they know that the years to come are even harder.  They look at you with that knowing smile and nod of understanding, you know that they are giggling a little on the inside after they have hugged you and walked away.  These are the women that provide you with hope.  They share their stories of woe and you can see that they, and their children, have come out ok in the end and you realize so shall you.

I think any woman would be lucky to have any one of these types of Mom Friends.  I am pleased and proud to say that I have all of the above.  I am thankful everyday that I have friends to call on, share with and support.  I look forward to visiting with those whom I haven’t had the opportunity to see or speak with recently and cherish the words of wisdom I gain from those who have been there, done that.   To all of you, I say Thank You!   Most importantly, my family says thank you.  Without all of you, who knows where they would be right now.