This is a guest post by a regular reader turned friend of this blog. It explores the bonds of women’s friendships and how they are so instrumental in mothering. I am proud to share it with you.
By Vicki Goedert
It started out simply uniting over pacifiers, potty training, and play groups. Our particular journey began in the late 1990s when one by one each of us seven women joined and eventually served on the board for a club that supported Moms Of Multiples (MOMs). As moms of twins you automatically feel a kindred spirit with one another and this particular group was based on commiserating and comforting each other through the early stages of raising multiples. Little did any of us know with each baby step our children took we would be the ones forging everlasting bonds.
The first baby steps turn into school pictures, little league and piano lessons and as our twins (and maybe us too) grew, the need for guidance from a large membership diminishes and the camaraderie of a few allies increases. We started our own splinter group and promptly settled on a fitting name and henceforth referred to ourselves as “The MOST” (Moms Of School-aged Twins). We continue to label our monthly GNOs (girls night out) as club “meetings” and converse of the daily grind of motherhood over dinner, wine and pedicures.
Raising Twenty-two (yes, 22) children between the seven of us has been quite an undertaking. Amazingly, as the months turn into years we are all there to cheer and comfort each other through triumphs and tragedies. Seeing one another through joyous new careers and unexpected layoffs, surprise (albeit welcomed) pregnancies and imminent passing of parents, celebrating anniversaries and “celebrating” divorces. The bonds are sealed through crooked teeth and braces, broken bones and casts, and that ever so terribly disturbing diagnosis, cancer. Our support never wavers even when sending children off to college to only have them move back home one semester later. We celebrated each new decade of our own lives with good cheer, and dreadfully had to stand by and watch as one of our own buried her child. But we gather, we unite and we support.
Our gatherings lead to talking, crying, laughing, and even swearing (well some swear more then others) but we always unite. When we have our little “meetings” it cleanses the mind, the body and the soul! It strengthens us individually and ultimately strengthens our bond to one another. The definition of unity is the state of being combined into one, as of the parts of a whole. It has been a year since all seven of us have been in one room together so at this “meeting” we decide to take a group photo. Not just any photo but a unique one. In light of our newly gifted infinity bracelets we decide on a so-called “Wonder Twins power” pose! We grab the closest ‘twin’ kid to click the shot and place our hands together! United, we laugh and the picture is snapped in a second flat.
As we all admire the black and white, we are in complete awe. The seven of us are uniformly silent, a true rarity. This picture speaks volumes. It says trust to one, multiple blessing to another, friendship, a lasting bond and to all of us it says support. Small integral parts that upon being combined, become a whole, and ultimately our
Infinite Unity!
About the author: I am a devoted wife, nurturing mother, supportive daughter, caring sister, true friend, dedicated volunteer, upcycling crafter and a proud Downers Grove resident. I am thankful every damn day for these many roles I portray but more importantly I am thankful for all the people who share their lives with me!
Mary Tyler Mom 