Today is International Women’s Day and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than to talk about an awesome group of local ladies in my life. I’ve always been a girl’s girl and valued female friendships. Some of those relationships have come and gone with time but they are important to me nonetheless.
About four and a half years ago a
A friend of mine told me about another local moms group and invited me to try it out. I declined because my daughter was on the way and didn’t want to add more to my plate but once the next winter rolled around, I was ready to get out of the house again only to find that the group was full. The following summer, I joined the group and found a place of encouragement, support, and faith from other mothers. Some stayed home, some worked from home, and a few worked outside the home, but all of us came together with the common goal of wanting to be the best moms we could be while striving after God’s own heart. We would have speakers come and share on various topics, do crafts as a group, seasoned mothers – or mentor moms- shared lessons they’d learned in parenting and we ate breakfast together — which if you’ve been a mom you know that eating a hearty breakfast without little hands asking for some of it is a luxury. 😆
All of those things really spoke to my heart and the following year (or spring of 2018 if you want a real timeline) I decided to join the steering team, helping plan and organize the meetings. All of us with a specific position within the team like fundraising, crafts, finances etc. to make sure things ran smoothly. This core group of ladies, see the picture above, have been such a blessing and encouragement to me. All of us come from different backgrounds and have different strengths joining together for a common goal of encouraging other mothers and giving them a break in the motions of motherhood. We have a desire to bring inclusion and listening ears to those that may not feel there is time for them to be heard. I’ll also say that for as many women that are in our group it has been clique free with everyone conversing out of a genuine desire to get to know one another. Big Win! 🙌🏾
The eleven of us have not only wanted the best for our group but also each other. Cheering each other on in the wins, crying with each other in the devastating losses and most importantly coming along side each other with prayer, faith and encouragement. At every steering meeting we have taken some time to share what is going on it in our lives from a place of vulnerability. Sharing things with the team that we may not have opened up about otherwise. I have such an admiration and respect for each of these women in this photo. I’ve watched them overcome various trials and hardships, sometimes affecting their parenting and marriages, other times bringing them to a place of questioning in their faith while needing clarity as they make big decisions.
This year had been filled with growth and transition for a lot of us but I know that we have really stood by each other. I couldn’t let the day go by without bragging on these awesome ladies but also encouraging others to “find their tribe” of women. Those that really want to see you achieve your best and believe alongside you for the things you are believing for wherever you are in life. I’m blessed to have friends of different ages and backgrounds but this year I learned the importance of being close to people that are in a similar situation as you are and know what you’re going through. Maybe for you, that’s being in a group for college students, women in a similar career field or empty nesters but the support that comes from people that are really for and with you is invaluable. I hope that if you don’t have this already, you will seek it out in your local community. The benefits are life-changing. ❤️