The few times a year my husband has to make a business trip is when the sauce tends to hit the fan. This week's trip was no exception as my son bashed his head mid-day Tuesday while on a rare visit to McDonald's in Middletown. Some excellent people at the scene helped me, and the people at Middlesex Hospital Emergency Room patched him up very nicely. All very worthy topics, but not the reasons I'm writing about this incident today.
What is the point of this week's column is that when I called my good friend, Kate, with tears in my voice, she dropped everything and managed to coordinate a way to pick up my daughter from the ER so that my daughter wouldn't have to witness her brother getting six stitches sewn in.
No, Kate is not my single friend working a flexible job. She is a full-time stay-at-home mother with two young children, a part-time student working to get her nursing degree, and a part-time legal assistant for her husband, among a dozen other responsibilities.
More props go to my good friend, Melissa, who immediately said yes when Kate called her to drop off her own daughter so that she could pick up mine.
Melissa may qualify as even more time-crunched than Kate. She works several days a week and has a husband who frequently has to make out-of-town trips for days or even weeks at a stretch.
And the giving kept coming when these ladies managed to drop off a huge, warm, delicious dinner. I am disgustingly blessed.
Hopefully the ultimate point of this week's column is starting to coalesce.
I never would have met these wonderful women if I hadn't joined the MOMS Club of Durham/Middlefield. I could go on and on with stories describing how important joining the MOMS Club was for me when I moved to Durham with my family, and I was planning on doing just that, but then Tuesday's incident happened, and I could think of no better example.
When I moved back to Connecticut, I had some friends and family still in the area, but they were all at different stages in their lives with full-time jobs, older children, and a calendar full of commitments. Having a group of women in the trenches with me, day-in and day-out, has proven to be invaluable.
If you are a full or part-time stay-at-home mom, and what I've written resonates with you, please pack the snack bag and bring your brood to the MOMS Club Open House this Friday at the Middlefield Community Center at 10:00. The Open House will include a short information session about the MOMS Club, a tour of the Middlefield Firehouse, and playtime for the kids.
No, my friendships with Kate, Melissa, and a dozen other exceptional women did not happen overnight. However, the MOMS Club did immediately provide me with activities and playmates for my children, and conversation and support from 20+ moms. Absolutely priceless.
Hope to see you Friday!
