We need them!  Don’t we? I’m talking about The Mothers of Others . We rub shoulders with them as we drop the kids off at school, sit in the bleachers beside them as the kids play their sports, and laugh with them on the cul de sac as our little ones close out the day with one more bike ride or sidewalk chalk-masterpiece. They are the other mothers all around us.

From afar they may look better, stronger, more loving or fit… they appear more gracious, joyful, resilient and calm… but truth be told we’re all in the same boat as we parent our miniature charges. And the chief thing that ties us all together, as we walk shoulder to shoulder, is that we all desire to do our best, but need encouragement to keep marching lovingly on. We need an Atta-Girl!  over the fence. We all need exhortation, inspiration, shared recipes, laughter and tears. We need companionship, adult conversation, and comfort. Comfort when we struggle with nursing issues, or  when our hearts break over the physical or emotional pains our children struggle with. We need fellowship as we celebrate their victories and our own achievements. Yes, we need friends.

Today I made two new friends.

I’d seen them before at back-to-school night, the Kindergarten picnic, and in the pick-up line at school, but today was the day we became friends. Here’s how it all went down:

This morning a small group of us moms stayed around after drop-off to help chaperone the Kindergartener’s first field trip to the local Pumpkin Patch. By late morning the temperature soared into the hundreds as children, teachers, and parents alike began to melt. We gulped down water bottles, lovingly tugged the children back towards the school bus, and laughed our way back to campus with 35 red-faced girls and boys. On the ride back to school I overheard two other mothers discussing if they were going to drink hot or cold tea this afternoon.  

As a certifiable, tea-drinking nerd I had to interrupt. Turns out they were going to go for tea at a new little tea-house this afternoon after returning the kids to school.  Unashamed (until the words actually fell out of my mouth) I asked, “O, can I come? I love going for tea!”  Praise the Maker, they said yes (enthusiastically in fact), and off we went to The Grand Tea Room in Escondido: Lovely little place with fabulous scones, flavorful salads and savories, and finger sandwiches.

Within five minutes of sitting down we had progressed from another reminder of one another’s names and the names of our children to the stories of meeting our husbands. Fun facts about our passions and our husbands interesting hobbies practically splashed out of our hearts and into our tea cups.  Plans were made to get our families together soon and we beamed at one another, satisfied with new friendship.

I know that I'm embarrassingly out-going at times, and you might be the farthest possible opposite of me imaginable, but today I wanted to share this story with you because we all need friends.  And I've come to see that the Other Mothers all around us on the playground, at MOPs groups, and on the sidelines, are uniquely equipped to laugh, encourage and march on with us during this specifically glorious albeit challenging season of life.

Tell me, are you out there seeking friendship or waiting for friendship to find you?  Let me encourage you to extend the hand of friendship to someone this week.  Blessings...