One of the best things about being a mom is understanding other moms.
When the baby was 3 weeks old, Eve's dad went away for the weekend on a fishing trip. A friend called me to see how things were going. I could feel my bottom lip start to quiver and I was horrified when I began to cry on the phone. The words I spoke did not match the fact that I was sobbing uncontrollably. "Things are fine. We are fine. I'm just tired. I need to get to the drug store but I just don't think I can do it."
About 20 minutes later there was a knock on my door. Two friends brought me the stuff from the drug store along with some flavoured water, some fruit salad, and a 7-layer dip. They took the baby so I could have something to eat, and hung out for a while until they were confident that I was in a better place. I was so grateful for the support. They were sent to me at exactly the right moment. Vulnerability is not high on my list of favourite things. That's one great thing about having friends who know me so well-- If they see me emoting, they know it's an emergency.
I was amazed that they knew to bring me something to eat. One of the girls had a 5-month old baby at home. Of course she knew. She knew better than I did, because she had already been through it. She was a mom of a newborn and she was able to put herself in my shoes. No matter how strong you think you are, when you mix in some crazy hormonal surges with sleep deprivation, you can never be sure when you will reach your breaking point. I learned to accept help when it was offered to me, and I do my best to offer it to others in the same boat. If I swoop in with a meal, it's just because I'm trying to pay it forward.
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