mother to mother

I got to spend the day with this munchkin all by himself. That’s kind of our typical Tuesday routine. Hayes and I go to his speech therapy session every Tuesday morning. And then we have the rest of the morning to play until we go pick up Hudson from school.

When Hudson was Hayes’s age, I was about 7 months pregnant. So I have really enjoyed having these uninterrupted days with Hayes. I’m not big and pregnant, so I can run around with him and do the things that little boys like to do.

Hayes’s speech therapist, Sarah, has become such a great, encouraging friend to me. We try to sneak in quick talks before and after Hayes’s sessions. We’re in the same Bible study and I’ve just really enjoyed getting to know her and having a few minutes each week to share some things with her.

I’m so thankful that God provided us with a therapist that Hayes loves and someone that I obviously needed in my life, too.

Today, while Sarah and I were catching up, we got on the subject of the importance in taking time to be a great friend. I’m so fortunate to have really kind, really thoughtful people in my life who show love to me when I need it most. And that’s the kind of friend that I want to be, too.

My boys are watching me as I interact with others and I want to set the example for them of how to show love and be a light in this world. The body of Christ is at its strongest when we are showing the love of Christ to others.

So after a particularly tough week, this has been my new mission. I’ve felt so much love lately from friends, and it is on my heart to pay that love forward. And to take action when showing love. Get out there and doing something tangible. And don’t take “no” for an answer.

We all need help. We need an ear to listen, an extra set of hands, a meal, someone to hug our kids and show them how important friendship is- even to adults. It’s the little things that go the farthest. I feel so fortunate to have people in my life that have done those things for me in hard times, and I want to be someone who notices and does something about it, too.

It’s hard work, and it takes planning. And extra time. But, in the end, it’s worth it when we open up our kitchen to share coffee and tears with another mom. And we stop by with dinner just because. Or call and offer to keep her kids so she and her husband can have a long overdue date night.

The gestures are small, but the mutual impact is lasting.

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Comments

  1. says

    True, true, true…I’ve made it a goal for 2013 to get out my stationery and write to at least one mama friend a week and tell her how amazing she is and to thank her for her friendship. It’s really been blessing me to sit down and write it all out. I’m blessed with some pretty amazing friends (both on and offline), and I just think it’s really important that we take time to tell them that we love them! I’m glad to see you posting some again 🙂

  2. says

    I can’t believe how BIG he is getting! Where did baby Hayes go? He is looking like a little boy more and more now!!! I think we can all work on being better friends at times – I know I sure can! Thanks for sharing this today:)

  3. Amber says

    I love you so much and am so blessed to have you as a friend!!! I already plan to do some mom-to-mom paying it forward 🙂

  4. says

    What a fun time! He is a cutie & that picture on the end of the slide of him posing is just too adorable! This was such a great post about being a better friend that I think we all could grow in. Thanks for the reminder on how important it is to be a blessing to those around us in our lives. 🙂

  5. Sarah says

    I’m curious about Hayes speech therapy! I have a nephew almost the exact same age and he is not talking at all. He is able to understand us and follow direction and has recall (such as pointing to animals when asked, etc) but is just now attempting some babble. How did you know that Hayes needed therapy? Thanks for your thoughts!

  6. says

    Being a good friend definitely takes work, but the payoff is so rewarding. It’s just as fun to send that sweet note or show up with a casserole as it is to receive one. Thank you for the reminder. It’s easy to forget that I have little eyes watching my every move. I want Quinn to grow up to be a great friend to others as well.

  7. says

    Love this! I lost what I thought was a close friendship last year, and what made me realize it was over were friendships of bloggers I had never met. That loss still hurts, but I used it to really pray for friends in my same stage of life, and those prayers have been answered. It does take work-going out to movie night when you just want to crash on the couch. But it is always worth it in the end.

  8. anonymous says

    sweet hayes!!! sarah sounds like such a blessing to you both. what a great reminder. i was planning to make an erin special: bow tie fiesta, spinach strawberry and goat cheese salad and a butter finger pie (with our cute erin condren labels affixed) – and drop it by a friend’s house this week. her mom is very, very close to the end. i know they need their privacy right now, so i planned to literally leave it on her doorstep, drive away and just text to let her know it was there.

  9. says

    Hayes is just precious! I relate so much to your post. It is so important to be a good friend and model kindness to others for our children. Sometimes it can feel like another thing to add to our “to-do” list. I dropped off dinner yesterday to a family with a new baby yesterday afternoon. It seemed like a good time to explain to my daughter why we take food to new Mamas. The song “let my life be the proof” came on- what a perfect timing! I want my life to be the proof of God’s love and cultivating friendships is a step in the right direction.

  10. says

    I read this post on my phone yesterday, but I wanted to stop by and comment while I’m at my computer. This post was encouraging to me, I need to do a better job at really reaching out to friends and being there for them. Not just saying I am. Actually putting forth some real action.

  11. says

    This is so absolutely true. Just coming out of a rough 1st trimester I really stand in awe of my friends and their grace. Even the texts telling me it’s ok your wearing the same sweats 2 days in a row were an unbelievable blessing. Makes me want to pay that forward.

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