Friends for a Lifetime

Friends for a Lifetime

By Amy Turner

When I was growing up, I loved to play school or Little House on the Prairie with Christy and Jodie. I always felt it was my job to be the one in charge and sometimes I could be a little overbearing. Sometimes we fought like cats and dogs... bite marks, scratches, and the whole nine yards, but other times we were inseparable. Through the years, my sisters and I became the best of friends. When we would get in a fight with each other, my Dad would make us apologize and give hugs, whether we liked each other at that point or not.

My Friend Debbie Motherhood is such a challenging time and friendship is so important. For me, the bond I share with my sisters has been a lifeline. I think it's crucial to have someone to call on when things get crazy and hectic. We all need to be able to reach out to another comrade who knows what we are going through. We need someone that we can laugh with, cry with, and let out all our frustrations with. Even though I don't live close to my sisters now, we still talk usually once or twice a day. We cherish the few times a year that we are able to get together and just go out for a bite to eat. We're usually tired and exhausted after taking care of the kids all day, but we still look forward to and treasure our time together.

The other day my two-year-old son threw one of the worst fits I think I've ever seen. We were at the mall and I had managed to get him in the bathroom, however nothing I was doing or saying seemed to get him to calm down. I realized I just had to get him out of the store and into the car. As I headed out the door, carrying him like a small bear, and struggling with him the whole way, a friend of mine came up. Bless her heart, she was trying to be understanding and make me feel like I wasn't alone, but it wasn't helping. She said "I know, my daughter threw a fit like that the other day, it was horrible." I was thinking to myself, there's no way your quiet, soft spoken child could throw a fit like this. It was nice that she tried to make me feel like I wasn't the only mother with a child throwing a temper tantrum, but her consolation was not as comforting to me as the understanding that my sisters offer. After I got my son buckled into his seat and was on my way home, of course I had to call my comrades- my sisters, my friends- to let them know all about the fiasco that had just taken place.

We all love motherhood and wouldn't trade it for the world, but everyday life as a mom can make you a little crazy if you don't have a friend or two you can share things with. For me, those friends are my sisters. Today, my sisters and I live several hours away from each, but they're only a phone call away when I need them. The motherhood bond that we share continually binds us together again and again, as not only sisters, but as friends for a lifetime.