lonely moms

dear emily,

a sweet, young friend was telling me how lonely it can be as a mom and how much she longs for more encouragement and adult companionship.  as much as she adores her little boys, they can't really converse about cultural events, politics, or fashion.   her precious husband can only answer so many, "does this make me look fat?" questions.

my friends and i, along with our numerous kiddos, had standing play dates at the park, lunches at mcdonalds, and bible studies at the church.  the children enjoyed these outings as much as we did and were motivated to finish chores and school to have some fun.

it's much more rewarding to push the swing for the 100th time, while commiserating with a friend about her marriage, lack of sleep, and Christmas errands.  exchanging a glance with someone who understands, helps ease the frustration of untangling another skirmish on the playground.

as women, we have such an intense need for fellowship that we have to feed it...or become lonely.  in the olden days, they sewed or canned together.  we have to figure out what we can do.

a few things come to mind:  take turns helping each other with housework, let the kids watch a movie while we wrap packages together,  have baking days, etc.  any chore is more fun with a friend.

it is comforting to know that the Lord understands all about our need for companionship and even described Himself as a friend who sticks closer than a brother.  He also gently leads those with little ones.  how precious is that?