Mommy Friendships

This is something that I have been thinking about really hard for the past several, several months.

Maybe because life has taken a few twists and turns that we didn’t expect and there are some things that just haven’t always worked out the way that we wanted to. I think my mind and my heart was on this topic today because it was Bid Day at my old school. Rush ended and lots of new girls entered the world of Swaps and Socials and Pledging. While I only spent 1 year in my sorority, it was by far one of the most enjoyable, fun, and memorable times in my life. I remember being surrounded by girls that I loved dearly and got along with. Girls that understood me and that I could talk to. I know the whole ‘”sorority” gets misconstrued by a lot of people, especially in movies and stuff, but in all honesty our sorority wasn’t like that. We had so much fun and I had 27 girls in my pledge class that I could turn to and talk to if I ever needed them.

Over the years I have lost contact with several of them, as well most everyone else that I used to be close friends with. And it’s had me a little bit down today.  I’ve been thinking hard about friendship and how much different it is when you are an adult. More so when you are a mom.

I think that all too often we allow friendships to fall to the wayside. We rely on our marriages, our hobbies, our whatever to fulfill us. We use that whole, “my husband is my best friend” thing to convince ourselves that we don’t necessarily need those friendly interactions with other women. We fill our lives up with errands and to-do lists and meeting the needs of our families and allow things that are really important to move to the backburner. This goes hand in hand with intentionally making time for ourselves.

It’s hard. It’s lonely. I’ve realized more now that Little Man is getting older and doesn’t require the same kind of care and attention that he did as an infant just how much I miss having someone my age who is of the same lifestyle {married with young children1} to just go out with and relax.

I miss just sitting around watching chick flicks or gossiping over a glass of wine. I have several really good friends, but they all live so far away so we aren’t able to get together that often. And I’m really missing my “girl time.’’

Maybe that’s why I have turned to blogging. Two of my closest friends, both of whom I feel like I could really talk to in the event that I needed someone, are ladies that I have met through blogging. We share the same interests and passions, we understand one another, but we are never able to get together and socialize “normally.” Being military makes it that much harder, too. Because I know just as soon as I make a good, close friend, I’ll be packing up and moving away.

So my question to you, my cyber friends, is how do you find time to balance and maintain friendships along with all of the other plates that we moms juggle? Do you have certain days that are just understood to be “Girl Nights?” I’d love some feedback on this one! Hope you guys have a great weekend!