“Friendship…is born at the moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” ~ C.S. Lewis
Bless the moms who always look fantastic and put together, who’s doting kids always appear to listen to their mother’s calm requests with a polite smile on their faces, and who’s children are grateful for every minor correction given by all-knowing parents, as if they know that their momma truly does know best. Bless them.
The perfect moment captured.
If you were to catch a glimpse of me on the right day, at exactly the right moment, when the wind is blowing just right, and the world (aka the two boys) seems in sync, you may think I am one of these unicorns.
However, let me assure you my friends that I am not.
On my best day I am like the mom equivalent of a mullet – perfectly manicured in the front, hair on fire in the back.
In my short two-and-a-half years as a mother, I have learned that in fact, there are no unicorns. There is no perfect mother with perfectly behaved kids. That perfectly put together mother with her well-behaved children I see at the grocery store, soccer practice, and at daycare pick up – she’s right there in the trenches too. I just happened to catch her at just the right moment. And you know what, that’s why when I see that mom, I give her a nod as if to say, “Sister, I know what it took to get here like that. You go girl.” Then my face likely reflects a tinge of longing as I thing, “Tell me your secret.”
The behind-the-scenes captured
However, despite the craziness, the mom-buns, the dry-fit shirts (a new staple of my momiform here in Birmingham), and the suitcases under my eyes, I wouldn’t trade being a mom for all the perfect and/or quiet moments in the world.
But mommin’ ain’t easy. It isn’t for the faint of heart. That’s why we need friends. We need friends who we can join with, share with, be in the trenches with, and laugh with.
I’ve always loved the above C.S. Lewis quote. But, I treasure it as a mom.
Whether it is a co-worker, a fellow soccer mom, or your favorite blogger, there is nothing more reassuring or encouraging as a mom than when you hear or read something that makes you say, “What? You too? I thought I was the only one!”
There is strength in numbers ladies.
That’s why I am so thrilled and honored to join the fabulous team of ladies at the Birmingham Moms Blog as a contributor.
Check out the introduction post to read a little more about how we got to Birmingham, my career change, and what the true meaning is behind the saying, “it takes a village to raise a child.”
The posts will include some local flavor as the boys and I explore our new home here in the Magic City. However, I hope to also relay those universal moments we all have as moms in the trenches – the ones that make us laugh, cry, and everything in between. So be encouraged mama – no matter where you are, you are not the only one.
JayeWalking 