I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

friends laughing with each otherI know we all know this, but I’ll say it anyway. Mommin’ ain’t easy. Most days it feels like we’re just barely getting by, and honestly, some days that is only because of the love and support of our community.

There are often more demands on our time and energy than we have time or energy to meet on any given day. And there is rarely extra energy to give back to those who aren’t immediately grasping for attention.

Yes, I’m talking about my friends. Their requests to go out are often turned down. Their texts are often ignored, or responded to days later. If we are mid-phone conversation and a little one cries out, chances are that phone call is getting dropped. My physical and emotional presence are often depleted when we are together. They often get my “leftovers.”

But today I had a little extra in the tank. This post is a quick note of gratitude to the friends out there who help us get by, or more accurately to thrive, as moms and wives and employees and citizens of the world.

This is for my friends who:

  • Stay home with one of my kids when we unexpectedly end up in the ER with another.
  • Keep my kids overnight so my husband and I can take a quick getaway.
  • Host playdates complete with sprinkle donuts, which I’m told taste better than regular donuts.
  • Serve as resident “grandparents” when our parents can’t make it to town for Grandparents’ Day activities at school.
  • Pick up the kids from aftercare when both my husband and I unexpectedly have to work late.
  • Take the kids to the park or for ice cream, making them feel special and loved by an adult other than their parents.
  • Buy my kids ridiculous toys that I would never spend my own actual money on, because it lights up the tiny eyes of the recipient.
  • Let my kids climb on them like monkey bars or chase them around the yard playing tag when I am just too tired.

So, friends, I want you to know that I see you. And I appreciate you. And my life and my kids’ lives are richer because you are here. Thanks for seeing us. Thanks for loving us. All of us. Your presence is a blessing and a gift.

Who are those friends in your life who make you a better mom? Who love your kids big?Whose presence makes your life better? Take a minute today to let them know you appreciate them.

Sarah Brichetto
Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, Sarah moved to New Orleans in 2009 after graduating from the University of Tennessee (Go Vols!) and is proud to call New Orleans home. She is a CPA and the Finance Director at a local real estate development company. Sarah lives in the Freret neighborhood with her husband, Matt, and their three kids: Elizabeth, Paul and Isaac. You can often find them roaming the neighborhood streets, taking streetcar rides, or enjoying one of the many local parks. In her non-existent free time, Sarah loves to try the newest local restaurants, cook, read, and write.

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