Friday, April 9, 2010

Girlfriends, a necessary ingredient for sanity

There are many luxuries available to modern mothers. Disposable diapers, childproof locks and Valium are all things that we have, but could probably live without and still make it through the day. There are a few absolutely non-negotiable things you must have as a mom and, in my expert opinion, one of those things is a girlfriend that you can always rely on. I am not talking about the other moms that you casually strike up a conversation with at the playground, although one of those mothers could turn out to be the quintessential girlfriend. I am talking about the one, or if you are really lucky, ones, who you can call at any time for any reason and they will be there. The chosen girlfriend doesn't have to be a mother, as long as she can tolerate the endless mom-talk that may be required at times and would make most non-mothers phase you out as a friend.

Particularly in the immediate postpartum phase of motherhood, you will be so overcome with hormones and sleep deprivation that you won't know what hit you. I have, on more than one occasion, called my best friend and done nothing more than blubber on the phone. There were times that I wasn't able to form complete sentences and she provided the words of encouragement that I needed. Sometimes, you will just need someone to complain to. There will also be times that you need to listen to someone talk about something else entirely. My best friend is particularly gifted at taking my mind off of whatever it is that is troubling me.

I am fortunate to have a few friends who fit the bill and one, in particular, that is my number one go-to friend for leaning on. Try to never alienate this friend, as she has the ability to single-handedly save your sanity many a time.

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