Click for simple, affordable ways to make the most of what's left of summer. I know I'm not the only one. But I think it says more about what moms need than who they are.
I opened my messages and read one simple text that instantly made me shudder. _“Does anyone have a sitter who is looking for a few extra hours?”_ I stared at the mom-group thread on my phone, paralyzed by indecision. Caught somewhere between genuinely wanting to be helpful and quietly pretending I never saw the message in the first place. I’ll admit I went with the latter, uttered “yeaaaa no” under my breath, and gently placed my phone back on the table as I watched the text go unanswered.
You know we all read it, but not one mom responded that day. But yes, I felt bad, and I couldn’t push the nagging thoughts away.I was gatekeeping my babysitter. I spent days wondering what this said about me.
Did becoming a mom turn me into a selfish friend? That’s so far from who I strive to be. So far from how I typically try to show up in the world, and the opposite of what I want to model for my daughters.
That was a tough pill to swallow. Then, I wondered what this said about our community as a whole. I always thought an integral part of friendship and community was sharing.
Sharing stories, sharing the load, sharing resources. And honestly, that’s what moms do best. I’m amazed on an almost daily basis at how women support each other through every phase of womanhood.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
