To The Mother Who Thinks She Sucks At Being A Friend,
Let me remind you that I have never been more proud of you than I am right now. You are a wife, a sister, and a friend, but more importantly, you are a mother — and to me, that is the most beautiful thing you can be. I have seen you give life in front of my eyes; I have witnessed you in pain and agony, to finally be rewarded with one of life’s most precious gifts.
The idea of which had never really impacted me until I saw your child rest in your arms for the first time. After seeing their eyes open for the first time, I realized what it really means to become a mother — at the very least, as close as I can to understanding from someone who has no children of their own.
There are no “take-backs” once you have a child. You can’t just go to the supermarket and return it. Being a parent doesn’t just end after 18 years. It’s not a part-time job that you can disconnect from on the weekends. You won’t stop worrying about whether they’re sniffles are turning into a cold. You won’t stop thinking about your daily schedule and how to make sure you have time to pack their lunch, make sure they’re properly clothed and onto the bus for school, all the while making sure you can make it to work with enough time to stop off for your coffee. You won’t stop thinking about them when you’re out with friends. It’s not something you can just stop being. You may be a wife and a sister and a friend, but mother sits at the top of the list now.
When I see you, I may joke about how much of a “mom” you’ve become — that you’re more interested in what type of Cheerios to buy now than going out and getting drinks.
Yes, there will be days I won’t hear from you, months where I won’t see you. Our only form of communication may one day dwindle down to random text messages and emails. Monthly “girls nights” may become yearly.
I don’t care how many texts messages I get in a month. I don’t care if you cancel our plans five times, eight times, or even forget about them all together, because let me emphasize, one more time, that you are my best friend. You will always be my best friend.
All I ask is that the day I become a mom that you're right by my side — and that you hold on when it's my turn to figure it out.
