Growing up I used to think that I was capable of maintaining an infinite number of friendships, that surely there would never be a day that I would feel ‘lonely,’ and that childhood best friends really are forever. Boy was I so wrong about all of that!
This motherhood gig at times has brought me to some of the loneliest moments of my life. I spend my days surrounded by my kiddos; my literal dream come true, and yet still I felt that quiet emptiness creep in, a void that could only be filled by friendships and community. I have a feeling I can speak for most Moms when I say that talking to a 4-year-old just isn’t quite the same as a phone call with your best friend.
Moms need people. Scratch that, not just people… we need our own tribe!
When I think of a tribe, I think of strength. People that will hold one another up when they need it most. I think of love. People who will pour themselves into the relationship and love each other well. I think of laughter. Truly the best medicine in the entire world. And I think of truth. A truth that at times may hurt, but that is the foundation of any real relationship.
I know I am one of the lucky ones, I found my tribe.
The group of girls that I can truly be myself around.
The ones who now navigate the good and bad days with me.
The ones who know the darkest parts of my journey.
The ones who call me up just to talk about literally anything.
The ones that make me laugh until I feel like I actually have abs.
The ones who will drop everything to help in times of need.
The ones who share and are transparent about the real struggles in life.
The ones who make even the most ordinary days more fun just by being there.
Finding my tribe was not an overnight thing, and maintaining those relationships has required work and dedication. But man is it SO worth it! Thanks to military wife life, my tribe is both near and far; a mix of new and old friends. While I wish I could have them all close enough to hug, I am grateful that my reach is wide! (And that social media and technology make it easy to keep in touch!)
This life was not meant to be traveled alone, and motherhood most definitely wasn’t!
We need each other. We crave encouragement. We want to be helpers. We dream of having real relationships and people to do life with. We all have that hole that can only be filled by community.
I hope with everything I have that each one of you reading this has a tribe. Someone or a group of people you can call on when life gets tough, or when you just need an extra bit of happy in your day. Friendships as an adult and busy Mom can be difficult to manage, but they are so, so important!
Find your tribe, and let them love you hard! Then try to love them harder!!!
