From My Favorite Corner: Thoughts on Friendship

Introducing our newest, regular series:

My desk is my new favorite corner of our home. It’s my little haven, a place of rest that is personalized just for me, and no one else. It’s also the place I get to dig into our writer’s articles, do a little dreaming for TCMB events and even a little dreaming for myself. Our writers truly put a lot into their articles and we want to be sure you get a chance to see them more often!

Each Sunday, I’ll be sharing a few thoughts and a handful of articles on a specific theme. We’ve had well over 40 writers total in our 2+ years in action and the wisdom, knowledge and tips they’ve shared is wide! Today we’re talking friendship.

When Twin Cities Moms Blog started, I just knew. I knew that this platform would somehow be a friendship builder. I wasn’t sure how, nor could I see the full picture of where we were going yet, but I could tell that friendship would be a heartbeat of this mom community. We all really need our friends, and when motherhood comes in and we need it most, ironically, we tend to push friends to the side a bit. None of us do it on purpose, and no one actually wants to see those friendships fade, but as we grow into our motherhood role, our margin shrinks to make room for our little darlings and we often find ourselves in survival mode. I know I find myself there more often that I’d care to admit. I also know that when am in that place, and I stop to think about what I need in those moments where I can’t breathe, I realize that what I’m often most in need of is a community of support.

I’ve heard more than once that if you’re married, upon entering motherhood, to be sure not to focus so much on your kids that you wake up in 20 years not knowing who your spouse is. And while I agree, I also say the same for friendship. I urge you, do not wake up when your kids have left the nest having invested so much in their lives that you didn’t get to live life alongside any of your girlfriends.

Your girlfriends are the ones you can laugh and cry with, who understand the look on your face without you having to say a word, who show up at your door with coffee, unannounced, the day you need it most, some of whom will sit over coffee with you in 20 years remembering those crazy days when you both had little ones and were in full on survival mode. However you choose to build friendships in this time of life with little margin, squeeze it in wherever you are able – I promise you won’t regret it. But don’t just take my word for it – read some of our articles on friendship. Who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself in one of them.