Four working moms walk into their workplace. They all go to their separate corners of the building and to their separate departments. Their paths don’t cross very often. Then their place of work is shut down indefinitely and somehow they grow closer despite the physical distance.
This is the story of my new support network through 2020.
It all started when I had two separate text threads going. Three of us decided to air out our frustrations on a Zoom happy hour. It seemed as though the fourth one would also benefit from some adult time, so I invited her. And we have never turned back.
We now communicate so much that our kids say, “Are you texting them again!?” and “Take this picture so you can share it with your friends!” My kids have even noticed the randomness of our conversations. Our topics and discourse often resemble The View, The Talk, and maybe even a little bit of the movie Bad Moms. Through it all, I hope I am modeling for my kids what a friendship can be and what it can look like. Friendship can be messy. It can have highs and lows. There is no script, and that is the beauty of it all.
We have shared everything in the last eight months. And I mean everything! Laughter. Tears. Heartbreak. Hope. Marriage. In-laws. Parents. Siblings. Kids. Anxiety. Choice boards. Weight loss. Self care. Social injustice. Celebrity crushes. Recipes. Virtual shopping carts. School challenges. And lots and lots of dilemmas, especially the parenting ones, that would only occur in 2020… But the things we have not shared are hugs. Or get-togethers with each other or our families. Not even drinks together.
I can’t wait for the day that we can put the cherry on top of this friendship. We will do it together, in person, and within 6 feet. But until then, I will settle for group texts and random run-ins at work.
In this season of thanks, I want to thank my support network. You know who you are. I would not have made it this far in the pandemic without your love and support. I can’t wait for this pandemic nightmare to be over. I also can’t wait to see what great things we will do together…in person…with masks off so we can see each other’s smiles again.
